Thread: Use of 'default TEXT now()'

Hi:

I'm writing an application where I have to use a datetime field. In this
field we'll keep the date and time of the coments about some tasks.

I am not sure about the right use of 'default', should I use:

fecha_obs    datetime default TEXT now()

or

fecha_obs    datetime default now() ?

When I must use TEXT ?

I want to retrieve the fields in datetime order.

TIA

                       Roberto Andrade Fonseca
                Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

                     Teléfonos: 623-1154, 623-1119
               e-mail: randrade@campus.iztacala.unam.mx

On Wed, 24 Mar 1999, Ing. Roberto Andrade wrote:

> I'm writing an application where I have to use a datetime field. In this
> field we'll keep the date and time of the coments about some tasks.
>
> I am not sure about the right use of 'default', should I use:
>
> fecha_obs    datetime default TEXT now()
>
> or
>
> fecha_obs    datetime default now() ?
>
> When I must use TEXT ?

  Unless I've missed something important, you want to use the latter form.
Text is a field data type for a variable length field without limit. Like
the memo field in dBASE and Paradox.

  The variable length field with a limit to the number of characters it can
contain is varchar(n). The data type, char(n), holds a fixed length string,
padded with blanks, to the maximum of 'n'.

  These are most of the character data types. What you want is one of the
date/time data types.

Hope this helps,

Rich


Dr. Richard B. Shepard, President
Applied Ecosystem Services, Inc.
2404 SW 22nd Street
Troutdale, OR 97060-1247  U.S.A.
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rshepard@appl-ecosys.com