>> select
>> extract(year from cast('today' as date))
>> || substring(cast(cast((100 + extract(month from cast('today' as

date)))

>> as integer) as varchar(100)) from 2 for 2)
>> || substring(cast(cast((100 + extract(day from cast('today' as

date)))

>> as integer) as varchar(100)) from 2 for 2)
>>
>> from rdb$database
>
>I think using LPAD (and current_date) is a lot easier and readable:
>
>select extract(year from current_date) || lpad(extract(month from

current_date), 2, '0') ...



True, but it's an UDF. Not that it should matter much, but some people
are allergic to them :-).


(may require an additional cast to varchar, no access to Firebird here).
I still think this is a presentation issue that should not be handled by
the database.

Sometimes it's simply easier and quicker to do it all in one SQL script.
Especially when it's a do-it-once-and-then-throw-away-the-code program
:-).

But for a full blown program, I agree with you.

Kind regards,

Michel Veerman





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