How Can I Compare DATETIME Columns Ignoring the Time Component in SQL Server?

Comparing DATETIME with Date Portion Only

In some scenarios, it becomes necessary to compare only the date portions of two DATETIME or DATE columns, disregarding the time component. This article addresses this requirement by exploring a practical solution using SQL Server.

Problem: How do you compare two records based solely on their date portions (day, month, and year) while ignoring the time components (hours, minutes, and seconds)?

Solution:

To isolate the date portion and discard the time component, leverage the CAST function in SQL Server. This function converts a DATETIME or DATE value to another data type, including the DATE data type.

Consider the following query:

IF CAST(DateField1 AS DATE) = CAST(DateField2 AS DATE)

In this query, the CAST function converts both DateField1 and DateField2 to the DATE data type. The comparison is then performed on the resulting DATE values, effectively ignoring the time components. If the dates match, the comparison evaluates to true; otherwise, it evaluates to false. This technique allows you to focus solely on the date portions of the two fields for your comparisons.

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