🔧 Quick Syntax
SELECT NOW();
This tells SQL:
“Give me the exact date and time — right now, down to the second.”
It returns a timestamp in this format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
🧾 Suppose You Want to Record When a User Logged In
INSERT INTO logins (user_id, login_time)
VALUES (1, NOW());
This logs the exact date and time a user signed in. NOW() auto-generates the current timestamp.
✅ Suppose You Just Want to See What Time It Is
SELECT NOW() AS current_time;
💡 Output:
2025-04-14 16:32:10This changes every time you run it — it’s always the current moment.
✅ Combine NOW() with Other Columns
SELECT username, NOW() AS checked_at
FROM users;
This shows when each row was “checked” — great for logging, reporting, or exporting data with timestamps.
🧃 Recap – What You Learned
NOW()returns the current date and time- Format:
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS - Use it in
SELECT,INSERT,UPDATE, etc. - Great for timestamps, logs, and real-time tracking