How to Generate Date Ranges in SQL Server 2008?

Generate date range using SQL

In SQL Server 2008, populating a table to contain a date range between two specified dates is a challenge for database administrators. In response to this problem, a practical solution for SQL Server 2008 is provided below.

This query utilizes a table containing a sequence of numbers to generate a date. The first line of the query declares two variables, @StartDate and @EndDate, representing the start and end of the desired date range respectively.

The subquery inside the brackets generates a sequence of numbers from 1 to the number of rows in the sys.columns table. This subquery acts as a replacement for a table of numbers or a table of counts. The resulting number is stored in the nbr column.

The WHERE clause filters numbers to include only those that fall within the specified date range. Specifically, it checks if nbr - 1 is less than or equal to the difference between the start date and the end date. Since row numbering starts at 1, this calculation is adjusted.

For each qualifying number, the query uses the DATEADD function to increment @StartDate by the value nbr - 1. The result is a table containing all dates from the start date to the end date, one row for each day.

An alternative to using a counting table

If a count table is available, it can replace the subquery in the original query, resulting in a more efficient and concise solution. Count tables contain a series of consecutive numbers, making them an ideal source for generating date ranges. A query using the count table is provided in the answer for reference.

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