Convert varchar dd/mm/yyyy to dd/mm/yyyy datetime

Question

I'm trying to convert a date in a varchar column in the dd/mm/yyyy format into the datetime dd/mm/yyyy format, so then I can run date range queries on the data.

So far I have the following which is not working

CONVERT(varchar, CAST(date_started AS datetime), 103)

I have also tried

convert(date_started as datetime, 103)

I need to make sure the output is as dd/mm/yyyy as we're in the UK and not the mm/dd/yyyy format

Solution

I think you are after this:

CONVERT(datetime, date_as_string, 103)

Notice, that datetime hasn't any format. You think about its presentation. To get the data of datetime in an appropriate format you can use

CONVERT(varchar, date_as_datetime, 103)

Comments

[Stew]

Didnt work im afraid, it converted but when i added the > '01/06/2013' part to it, i was seeing dates back in 2011

[DrCopyPaste]

@Stew what do you mean with the "> '01/06/2013'"-part you did not mention anything about that in your OP what did you do with it?

[Stew]

Thats what i had before, sorry. my mistake That also converts, but when i do a > '01/06/2013' on the date im seeing dates in january.

[Stew]

SELECT date_started FROM staff WHERE (CONVERT(datetime, date_started, 103) > '01/06/2013') When i do this im seeing dates in January, not after 1st June 2013

[Jazzy J]

> CONVERT(datetime, '01/06/2013', 103) - then everything is in datetime and the comparison is done on datetime datatypes.

[senthilkumar2185]

it is automatically 01 is taking January month so that problem arise you convert 06/01/2013 is working