Jayen Thakker 2025
Data Analytics Mentor
Data Analytics
Top 10 Functions for
Time-Based Analysis
in SQL
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NOW() / CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
Purpose
Returns the current date and time (timestamp) of
the system where SQL is running.
Use Case
Tracking real-time transactions
Comparing timestamps
(e.g., orders placed in the last 24 hours).
Example
SELECT NOW();
-- Output: 2025-04-26 14:33:21
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DATE()
Purpose
Extracts only the date part (YYYY-MM-DD) from a full
timestamp.
Use Case
Aggregating data daily without worrying about hours,
minutes, and seconds.
Example
SELECT DATE(order_created_at)
AS order_date
FROM orders;
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EXTRACT()
Purpose
Extracts specific parts (like year, month, day, hour)
from a date/time.
Use Case
Analyzing patterns like monthly sales, year-over-year
growth, hourly usage.
Example
SELECT EXTRACT(YEAR FROM sale_date)
AS sale_year,
EXTRACT(MONTH FROM sale_date)
AS sale_month
FROM sales;
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DATE_TRUNC()
Purpose
Truncates a date/time value to the specified
precision (year, month, week, day, etc.)
Use Case
Grouping data at different time granularities
Generating monthly, quarterly, or weekly reports.
Example
SELECT DATE_TRUNC('month', created_at)
AS month_start,
COUNT(*) AS total_orders
FROM orders
GROUP BY 1;
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DATEDIFF()
Purpose
Calculates the difference between two dates (in days).
Use Case
Calculating user retention (days between signup and
first purchase)
Finding late deliveries.
Example
SELECT customer_id,
DATEDIFF(first_purchase_date, signup_date)
AS days_to_purchase
FROM customer_journey;
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TIMESTAMPDIFF()
Purpose
Calculates the difference between two timestamps but
allows you to specify units (seconds, minutes, hours,
days, months, etc.).
Use Case
Calculating session durations
Finding average time between events.
Example
SELECT
TIMESTAMPDIFF(HOUR, login_time, logout_time)
AS session_hours
FROM user_sessions;
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INTERVAL
Purpose
Adds or subtracts a time interval (like 1 day, 2 months,
3 hours) from a date.
Use Case
Finding users who haven't logged in for the last 7 days
Creating rolling window comparisons.
Example
SELECT *
FROM users
WHERE last_login < (NOW() - INTERVAL 7 DAY);
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TO_CHAR() (for formatting)
Purpose
Converts a timestamp into a formatted text string.
Use Case
Creating readable reports (like "April 2025" instead of
"2025-04-01")
Customizing time labels for charts.
Example
SELECT TO_CHAR(order_date, 'YYYY-MM')
AS order_month,
COUNT(*)
FROM orders
GROUP BY 1;
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LAST_DAY()
Purpose
Returns the last day of the month for a given date.
Use Case
Calculating month-end balances
Identifying subscription renewals at month-end.
Example
SELECT LAST_DAY(invoice_date)
AS invoice_month_end
FROM invoices;
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AGE() (Mostly in PostgreSQL)
Purpose
Returns the interval between two dates, showing the
exact difference (years, months, days).
Use Case
Calculating customer age based on birthdate
Finding the seniority of an employee.
Example
SELECT name, AGE(current_date, birthdate)
AS age
FROM employees;
Top 10 Excel Functions for Data Analysis 11
Jayen Thakker
Data Analytics Mentor
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