In MySQL, the SYSDATE function is used to retrieve the current date and time from the system. This function returns a DATETIME value representing the current date and time in the system’s time zone. It is important to note that the time zone used by SYSDATE is the time zone set on the MySQL server.

Example

Here is a basic example of using the SYSDATE function:

SELECT SYSDATE();

This query will return the current date and time in the default format, which includes both the date and time components. The result will look something like this:

+---------------------+
| SYSDATE()           |
+---------------------+
| 2024-01-01 12:34:56 |
+---------------------+

If you only want the date part or the time part, you can use the DATE or TIME functions, respectively:

-- Get only the date part
SELECT DATE(SYSDATE());

-- Get only the time part
SELECT TIME(SYSDATE());

The SYSDATE function is useful in various scenarios, such as when you need to record the current timestamp when inserting or updating records in a table. For example:

-- Insert a new record with the current timestamp
INSERT INTO your_table (column1, column2, timestamp_column)
VALUES ('value1', 'value2', SYSDATE());

This would insert a new record into your_table with the current date and time in the timestamp_column.

Keep in mind that the behavior of SYSDATE may vary if you are working with different time zones or if the MySQL server is configured with a specific time zone setting. It’s always a good practice to be aware of the time zone settings in your MySQL environment to ensure accurate date and time handling.