How does the DATEDIFF() Function work?

The DATEDIFF() function is a function that is used to calculate the difference between two dates. It returns the difference in days between two date values. The syntax for the DATEDIFF() function is as follows:

Syntax:

DATEDIFF( date1,date2)

Explanation: This function takes two parameters i.e. date strings, computes the difference between two dates, and returns an absolute value. The function considers only the date part of the string and ignores the time or timestamp when used in the function. Some important points while using the DATEDIFF() function are.

• The value returned by the DATEDIFF() function can be positive, negative, or 0.
• If the arguments given in the function are null or invalid, the function returns null.
• The date parameters should be given in the format ‘YYYY-MM-DD’ (year, month, day).
• The function returns an absolute negative integer when date2 is later than date1.
• The function returns an absolute positive integer when date1 is later than date2.

Sometimes, the difference between two dates in MariaDB is achieved through the DATEDIFF() function. The DATEDIFF() function offers a straightforward solution for measuring the gap between dates, whether it’s for scheduling tasks, tracking project durations, or analyzing trends over time. In this article, we’ll learn about the DATEDIFF() function by exploring its syntax and examples to master date manipulation in our MariaDB database.