Displaying the current date: select convert(char(3),datename(month,getdate()))+" " +convert(char(2),datename(day,getdate()))+"," +convert(char(4),datename(year,getdate())) Displaying the current time: select convert(char(2),datename(hour,getdate()))+":" +convert(char(2),datename(minute,getdate()))+":" +convert(char(2),datename(second,getdate())) Selecting just the date part from the current timestamp (ie reseting the time fields to 12:00AM): select convert (datetime, (convert(char(3),datename(month,getdate()))+" " +convert(char(2),datename(day,getdate()))+"," +convert(char(4),datename(year,getdate())) ) ) This is an example of making all possible conversions back and forth from datetime to char: select convert (datetime, convert(char(4),datename(year,getdate())) +"-" +convert (char(3),datename(month,getdate())) +"-" +convert(char(2),datename(day,getdate())) +" " +convert(char(2),datename(hour,getdate())) +":" +convert(char(2),datename(minute,getdate())) +":" +convert(char(2),datename(second,getdate())) ,105) Converting a period to a char: select convert(char(10),p1)+"-"+convert(char(10),p2) from periods