11.5. CURRENT_TIMESTAMP

Available inDSQL, PSQL, ESQL

TypeTIMESTAMP

Syntax 

CURRENT_TIMESTAMP [ (<precision>) ]
 
<precision> ::= 0 | 1 | 2 | 3

The optional precision argument is not supported in ESQL.

Table 11.2. CURRENT_TIMESTAMP Parameter
ParameterDescription

precision

Precision. The default value is 3. Not supported in ESQL

CURRENT_TIMESTAMP returns the current server date and time. The default is 3 decimals, i.e. milliseconds precision.

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Note

  • The default precision of Section 11.4, “CURRENT_TIME” is 0 decimals, so CURRENT_TIMESTAMP is not the exact sum of Section 11.2, “CURRENT_DATE” and CURRENT_TIME, unless you explicitly specify a precision (i.e. CURRENT_TIME(3) or CURRENT_TIMESTAMP(0)).

  • Within a PSQL module (procedure, trigger or executable block), the value of CURRENT_TIMESTAMP will remain constant every time it is read. If multiple modules call or trigger each other, the value will remain constant throughout the duration of the outermost module. If you need a progressing value in PSQL (e.g. to measure time intervals), use Section 11.14, “'NOW'”.

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CURRENT_TIMESTAMP and Firebird 4 time zone support

Firebird 4 will support time zones. As part of this support, there will be an incompatibility with the CURRENT_TIMESTAMP expression.

In Firebird 4, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP will return the new TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE type. In order for your queries to be compatible with database code of future Firebird versions, Firebird 3.0.4 introduced the Section 11.12, “LOCALTIMESTAMP” expression. In Firebird 2.5 and Firebird 3, LOCALTIMESTAMP is a synonym for CURRENT_TIMESTAMP.

In Firebird 4, LOCALTIMESTAMP will continue to work as it does now (returning TIMESTAMP [WITHOUT TIME ZONE]), while CURRENT_TIMESTAMP will return a different data type, TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE.

Unless you need to be able to downgrade your database to Firebird 3.0.3 or earlier, we recommend to start using LOCALTIMESTAMP instead of CURRENT_TIMESTAMP.

Examples 

select current_timestamp from rdb$database
-- returns e.g. 2008-08-13 14:20:19.6170
 
select current_timestamp(2) from rdb$database
-- returns e.g. 2008-08-13 14:20:23.1200

See alsoSection 11.4, “CURRENT_TIME”, Section 11.11, “LOCALTIME”, Section 11.12, “LOCALTIMESTAMP”