Mysql Literals
MySQL: Literals
This tutorial explains how to use literals (string, number, date, time, and boolean literals) in MySQL with examples.
Description
In MySQL, a literal is the same as a constant. We'll cover several types of literals - string literals, number literals, date and time literals and boolean literals.
String Literals
String literals are always surrounded by either single quotes (') or double quotes ("). For example:
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| 'AODBA.com' | String literal with single quotes |
| "AODBA.com" | String literal with double quotes |
| 'Tech on the Net' | String literal with single quotes |
| "Tech on the Net" | String literal with double quotes |
Number Literals
Number literals can be either positive or negative numbers that are exact or floating point values. If you do not specify a sign, then a positive number is assumed. Here are some examples of valid number literals:
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| 25 | Integer literal with no sign (positive sign is assumed) |
| +25 | Integer literal with positive sign |
| -25 | Integer literal with negative sign |
| 25e-04 | Floating point literal |
| 25.607 | Decimal literal |
Date and Time Literals
Date and time literals can be expressed as either strings or numbers. Here are some examples of valid date and time literals:
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| '2014-04-13' | Date literal formatted as 'YYYY-MM-DD' |
| '20140413' | Date literal formatted as 'YYYYMMDD' |
| 20140413 | Date literal formatted as YYYYMMDD |
| '14-04-13' | Date literal formatted as 'YY-MM-DD' |
| '140413' | Date literal formatted as 'YYMMDD' |
| 140413 | Date literal formatted as YYMMDD |
| '2014-04-13 11:49:36' | Datetime literal formatted as 'YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS' |
| '20140413114936' | Datetime literal formatted as 'YYYYMMDDHHMMSS' |
| 20140413114936 | Datetime literal formatted as YYYYMMDDHHMMSS |
| '14-04-13 11:49:36' | Datetime literal formatted as 'YY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS' |
| '140413114936' | Datetime literal formatted as 'YYMMDDHHMMSS' |
| 140413114936 | Datetime literal formatted as YYMMDDHHMMSS |
| '0 11:49:36' | Time literal formatted as 'D HH:MM:SS' where D can be a day value between 0 and 34 |
| '11:49:36' | Time literal formatted as 'HH:MM:SS' |
| '11:49' | Time literal formatted as 'HH:MM' |
| '0 11:49' | Time literal formatted as 'D HH:MM' where D can be a day value between 0 and 34 |
| '0 11' | Time literal formatted as 'D HH' where D can be a day value between 0 and 34 |
| '36' | Time literal formatted as 'SS' |
| 114936 | Time literal formatted as HHMMSS |
| 4936 | Time literal formatted as MMSS |
| 36 | Time literal formatted as SS |
Boolean Literals
Boolean literals are values that evaluate to either 1 or 0. Here are some examples of valid boolean literals:
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| 1 | Evaluates to 1 |
| TRUE | Evaluates to 1 |
| true | Evaluates to 1 |
| 0 | Evaluates to 0 |
| FALSE | Evaluates to 0 |
| false | Evaluates to 0 |
