Time functions

GoogleSQL for BigQuery supports the following time functions.

Function list

Name	Summary
CURRENT_TIME	Returns the current time as a TIME value.
EXTRACT	Extracts part of a TIME value.
FORMAT_TIME	Formats a TIME value according to the specified format string.
PARSE_TIME	Converts a STRING value to a TIME value.
TIME	Constructs a TIME value.
TIME_ADD	Adds a specified time interval to a TIME value.
TIME_DIFF	Gets the number of unit boundaries between two TIME values at a particular time granularity.
TIME_SUB	Subtracts a specified time interval from a TIME value.
TIME_TRUNC	Truncates a TIME value at a particular granularity.

CURRENT_TIME

CURRENT_TIME([time_zone])

CURRENT_TIME

Description

Returns the current time as a TIME object. Parentheses are optional when called with no arguments.

This function supports an optional time_zone parameter. See Time zone definitions for information on how to specify a time zone.

The current time is recorded at the start of the query statement which contains this function, not when this specific function is evaluated.

Return Data Type

TIME

Example

SELECT CURRENT_TIME() as now;

/*----------------------------*
 | now                        |
 +----------------------------+
 | 15:31:38.776361            |
 *----------------------------*/

EXTRACT

EXTRACT(part FROM time_expression)

Description

Returns a value that corresponds to the specified part from a supplied time_expression.

Allowed part values are:

• MICROSECOND
• MILLISECOND
• SECOND
• MINUTE
• HOUR

Returned values truncate lower order time periods. For example, when extracting seconds, EXTRACT truncates the millisecond and microsecond values.

Return Data Type

INT64

Example

In the following example, EXTRACT returns a value corresponding to the HOUR time part.

SELECT EXTRACT(HOUR FROM TIME "15:30:00") as hour;

/*------------------*
 | hour             |
 +------------------+
 | 15               |
 *------------------*/

FORMAT_TIME

FORMAT_TIME(format_string, time_expr)

Description

Formats a TIME value according to the specified format string.

Definitions

• format_string: A STRING value that contains the format elements to use with time_expr.
• time_expr: A TIME value that represents the time to format.

Return Data Type

STRING

Example

SELECT FORMAT_TIME("%R", TIME "15:30:00") as formatted_time;

/*----------------*
 | formatted_time |
 +----------------+
 | 15:30          |
 *----------------*/

PARSE_TIME

PARSE_TIME(format_string, time_string)

Description

Converts a STRING value to a TIME value.

Definitions

• format_string: A STRING value that contains the format elements to use with time_string.
• time_string: A STRING value that represents the time to parse.

Details

Each element in time_string must have a corresponding element in format_string. The location of each element in format_string must match the location of each element in time_string.

-- This works because elements on both sides match.
SELECT PARSE_TIME("%I:%M:%S", "07:30:00");

-- This produces an error because the seconds element is in different locations.
SELECT PARSE_TIME("%S:%I:%M", "07:30:00");

-- This produces an error because one of the seconds elements is missing.
SELECT PARSE_TIME("%I:%M", "07:30:00");

-- This works because %T can find all matching elements in time_string.
SELECT PARSE_TIME("%T", "07:30:00");

The format string fully supports most format elements except for %P.

When using PARSE_TIME, keep the following in mind:

• Unspecified fields. Any unspecified field is initialized from 00:00:00.0. For instance, if seconds is unspecified then it defaults to 00, and so on.
• Whitespace. One or more consecutive white spaces in the format string matches zero or more consecutive white spaces in the TIME string. In addition, leading and trailing white spaces in the TIME string are always allowed, even if they are not in the format string.
• Format precedence. When two (or more) format elements have overlapping information, the last one generally overrides any earlier ones.
• Format divergence. %p can be used with am, AM, pm, and PM.

Return Data Type

TIME

Example

SELECT PARSE_TIME("%H", "15") as parsed_time;

/*-------------*
 | parsed_time |
 +-------------+
 | 15:00:00    |
 *-------------*/

SELECT PARSE_TIME('%I:%M:%S %p', '2:23:38 pm') AS parsed_time;

/*-------------*
 | parsed_time |
 +-------------+
 | 14:23:38    |
 *-------------*/

TIME

1. TIME(hour, minute, second)
2. TIME(timestamp, [time_zone])
3. TIME(datetime)

Description

1. Constructs a TIME object using INT64 values representing the hour, minute, and second.
2. Constructs a TIME object using a TIMESTAMP object. It supports an optional parameter to specify a time zone. If no time zone is specified, the default time zone, UTC, is used.
3. Constructs a TIME object using a DATETIME object.

Return Data Type

TIME

Example

SELECT
  TIME(15, 30, 00) as time_hms,
  TIME(TIMESTAMP "2008-12-25 15:30:00+08", "America/Los_Angeles") as time_tstz;

/*----------+-----------*
 | time_hms | time_tstz |
 +----------+-----------+
 | 15:30:00 | 23:30:00  |
 *----------+-----------*/

SELECT TIME(DATETIME "2008-12-25 15:30:00.000000") AS time_dt;

/*----------*
 | time_dt  |
 +----------+
 | 15:30:00 |
 *----------*/

TIME_ADD

TIME_ADD(time_expression, INTERVAL int64_expression part)

Description

Adds int64_expression units of part to the TIME object.

TIME_ADD supports the following values for part:

• MICROSECOND
• MILLISECOND
• SECOND
• MINUTE
• HOUR

This function automatically adjusts when values fall outside of the 00:00:00 to 24:00:00 boundary. For example, if you add an hour to 23:30:00, the returned value is 00:30:00.

Return Data Types

TIME

Example

SELECT
  TIME "15:30:00" as original_time,
  TIME_ADD(TIME "15:30:00", INTERVAL 10 MINUTE) as later;

/*-----------------------------+------------------------*
 | original_time               | later                  |
 +-----------------------------+------------------------+
 | 15:30:00                    | 15:40:00               |
 *-----------------------------+------------------------*/

TIME_DIFF

TIME_DIFF(start_time, end_time, granularity)

Description

Gets the number of unit boundaries between two TIME values (end_time - start_time) at a particular time granularity.

Definitions

• start_time: The starting TIME value.
• end_time: The ending TIME value.

• granularity: The time part that represents the granularity. If you passed in TIME values for the first arguments, granularity can be:

  • MICROSECOND
  • MILLISECOND
  • SECOND
  • MINUTE
  • HOUR

Details

If end_time is earlier than start_time, the output is negative. Produces an error if the computation overflows, such as if the difference in microseconds between the two TIME values overflows.

Note: The behavior of the this function follows the type of arguments passed in. For example, TIME_DIFF(TIMESTAMP, TIMESTAMP, PART) behaves like TIMESTAMP_DIFF(TIMESTAMP, TIMESTAMP, PART).

Return Data Type

INT64

Example

SELECT
  TIME "15:30:00" as first_time,
  TIME "14:35:00" as second_time,
  TIME_DIFF(TIME "15:30:00", TIME "14:35:00", MINUTE) as difference;

/*----------------------------+------------------------+------------------------*
 | first_time                 | second_time            | difference             |
 +----------------------------+------------------------+------------------------+
 | 15:30:00                   | 14:35:00               | 55                     |
 *----------------------------+------------------------+------------------------*/

TIME_SUB

TIME_SUB(time_expression, INTERVAL int64_expression part)

Description

Subtracts int64_expression units of part from the TIME object.

TIME_SUB supports the following values for part:

• MICROSECOND
• MILLISECOND
• SECOND
• MINUTE
• HOUR

This function automatically adjusts when values fall outside of the 00:00:00 to 24:00:00 boundary. For example, if you subtract an hour from 00:30:00, the returned value is 23:30:00.

Return Data Type

TIME

Example

SELECT
  TIME "15:30:00" as original_date,
  TIME_SUB(TIME "15:30:00", INTERVAL 10 MINUTE) as earlier;

/*-----------------------------+------------------------*
 | original_date               | earlier                |
 +-----------------------------+------------------------+
 | 15:30:00                    | 15:20:00               |
 *-----------------------------+------------------------*/

TIME_TRUNC

TIME_TRUNC(time_value, time_granularity)

Description

Truncates a TIME value at a particular granularity.

Definitions

• time_value: The TIME value to truncate.
• time_granularity: The truncation granularity for a TIME value. Time granularities can be used.

Time granularity definitions

• MICROSECOND: If used, nothing is truncated from the value.

• MILLISECOND: The nearest lesser than or equal millisecond.

• SECOND: The nearest lesser than or equal second.

• MINUTE: The nearest lesser than or equal minute.

• HOUR: The nearest lesser than or equal hour.

Details

The resulting value is always rounded to the beginning of granularity.

Return Data Type

TIME

Example

SELECT
  TIME "15:30:00" as original,
  TIME_TRUNC(TIME "15:30:00", HOUR) as truncated;

/*----------------------------+------------------------*
 | original                   | truncated              |
 +----------------------------+------------------------+
 | 15:30:00                   | 15:00:00               |
 *----------------------------+------------------------*/