Add default value of datetime field in SQL Server to a timestamp

I've got a table that collects forms submitted from our website, but for some reason, when they created the table, they didn't put a timestamp in the table. I want it to enter the exact date and time that the record was entered.

I know it's in there somewhere, but I can't seem to find how to set the default value (like in Access, you use `getNow()` or `Now()`) but I don't know where to put it.

For modifying an existing column in an existing table:

ALTER TABLE YourTable ADD CONSTRAINT DF_YourTable DEFAULT GETDATE() FOR YourColumn

The syntax for this when creating a new table is:


CREATE TABLE MyTable
(
MYTableID INT IDENTITY(1,1),

CreateDate DATETIME NOT NULL CONSTRAINT DF_MyTable_CreateDate_GETDATE DEFAULT GETDATE()
)

While the [marked answer][1] is correct with:

> `ALTER TABLE YourTable ADD CONSTRAINT DF_YourTable DEFAULT GETDATE() FOR YourColumn`

You should always be aware of timezones when adding default datetime values in to a column.

Say for example, this `datetime` value is designed to indicate when a member joined a website and you want it to be displayed back to the user, `GETDATE()` will give you the server time so could show discrepancies if the user is in a different locale to the server.

If you expect to deal with international users, it is better in some cases to use [GETUTCDATE()][2], which:

> Returns the current database system timestamp as a datetime value. The database time zone offset is not included. This value represents the current UTC time (Coordinated Universal Time). This value is derived from the operating system of the computer on which the instance of SQL Server is running.

ALTER TABLE YourTable ADD CONSTRAINT DF_YourTable DEFAULT GETUTCDATE() FOR YourColumn

When retrieving the values, the front end application/website should transform this value from UTC time to the locale/culture of the user requesting it.

[1]:

[To see links please register here]

[2]:

[To see links please register here]

This also works:

CREATE TABLE Example(
...
created datetime default GETDATE()
);
Or:

ALTER TABLE EXAMPLE ADD created datetime default GETDATE();

Let's say you create a database table for a registration system.

IF OBJECT_ID('dbo.registration_demo', 'U') IS NOT NULL
DROP TABLE dbo.registration_demo;

CREATE TABLE dbo.registration_demo (
id INT IDENTITY PRIMARY KEY,
name NVARCHAR(8)
);

Now a couple people register.

INSERT INTO dbo.registration_demo (name) VALUES
('John'),('Jane'),('Jeff');

Then you realize you need a timestamp for when they registered.

If this app is limited to a geographically localized region, then you *can* use the local server time with [`GETDATE()`][1]. Otherwise you should heed [Tanner's consideration][2] for the global audience with [`GETUTCDATE()`][3] for the default value.

Add the column with a default value in one statement like [this answer][4].

ALTER TABLE dbo.registration_demo
ADD time_registered DATETIME DEFAULT GETUTCDATE();

Let's get another registrant and see what the data looks like.

INSERT INTO dbo.registration_demo (name) VALUES
('Julia');

SELECT * FROM dbo.registration_demo;

> id name time_registered
> 1 John NULL
> 2 Jane NULL
> 3 Jeff NULL
> 4 Julia 2016-06-21 14:32:57.767

[1]:https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms188383.aspx
[2]:https://stackoverflow.com/a/31296917/4233593
[3]:https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms178635.aspx
[4]:https://stackoverflow.com/a/92123/4233593

This worked for me. I am using SQL Developer with Oracle DB:

ALTER TABLE YOUR_TABLE
ADD Date_Created TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP NOT NULL;

Disallow Nulls on the column and set a default on the column of `getdate()`

/*Deal with any existing NULLs*/
UPDATE YourTable SET created_date=GETDATE() /*Or some sentinel value
'19000101' maybe?*/
WHERE created_date IS NULL


/*Disallow NULLs*/
ALTER TABLE YourTable ALTER COLUMN created_date DATE NOT NULL

/*Add default constraint*/
ALTER TABLE YourTable ADD CONSTRAINT
DF_YourTable_created_date DEFAULT GETDATE() FOR created_date

To make it simpler to follow, I will **summarize** the above answers:

Let`s say the table is called **Customer**
it has 4 columns/less or more...

you want to add a new column to the table where every time when there is insert... then that column keeps a record of the time the event happened.

Solution:


add a new column, let`s say **timepurchase** is the new column, to the table with data type **datetime**.

Then run the following alter:

ALTER TABLE Customer ADD CONSTRAINT DF_Customer DEFAULT GETDATE() FOR timePurchase

In SQLPlus while creating a table it is be like as

SQL> create table Test

( Test_ID number not null,
Test_Date date default sysdate not null );
SQL> insert into Test(id) values (1);

Test_ID Test_Date
1 08-MAR-19