How Can I Achieve Millisecond and Microsecond Precision in MySQL Timestamps?

MySQL Timestamp Precision Limitation and Workarounds

MySQL's lack of support for millisecond and microsecond precision has been a longstanding issue for developers, preventing accurate timestamps in applications. This limitation affects the TIMESTAMP field and its supporting functions.

Workaround: BIGINT Field

One workaround has been to use a BIGINT field to store timestamps. However, it requires careful handling by the application to ensure accuracy. Doctrine, a popular PHP object-relational mapping library, may not automatically add milliseconds to the field or handle date manipulation functions.

Workaround: UDF Extension

Compiling a UDF extension can enable microsecond precision, but it's not a sustainable solution. Upgrades or changes to the database may remove the extension.

MySQL Version Update

Fortunately, this limitation has been addressed in MySQL version 5.6.4. Now supports fractional seconds for TIME, DATETIME, and TIMESTAMP values with up to microsecond precision. This update provides a definitive solution for applications that require accurate timestamps.

Conclusion

MySQL's previous lack of millisecond and microsecond precision has been resolved in version 5.6.4. For environments running earlier versions, developers may need to consider the BIGINT field workaround, but it's recommended to upgrade to version 5.6.4 or later to fully support fine-grained timestamps.

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