You retrieve dates and times from the database in these ways.
Using any interface, as a string
Using ODBC, as a TIMESTAMP structure
Using embedded SQL, as a SQLDATETIME structure
When a date or time is retrieved as a string, it is retrieved in the format specified by the database options DATE_FORMAT, TIME_FORMAT and TIMESTAMP_FORMAT.
The following operators are allowed on dates:
| Operator | Description | 
|---|---|
| timestamp + integer | Add the specified number of days to a date or timestamp. | 
| timestamp - integer | Subtract the specified number of days from a date or timestamp. | 
| date - date | Compute the number of days between two dates or timestamps. | 
| date + time | Create a timestamp combining the given date and time. |