If you want to select dates between two specific dates in SQL, you can use the "BETWEEN" operator. Let's say you have a table named Person with columns for birth dates and death dates. If you want to select all the people who were born between 1990 and 2000 (beginning and end dates included), you can utilize this query:

SELECT * FROM Person WHERE Birthdate BETWEEN '1990-01-01' AND '2000-01-01';

This query will present all the records where the Birthdate is within the specified date range. Besides, if you want to filter the results by two different date columns, you can use the < and > operators. For example, to select all the rows where the Birthdate is after 1990, and the Deathdate is before 2010, you can use this query:

SELECT * FROM Person WHERE Birthdate > '1990-01-01' AND Deathdate < '2010-01-01';

The aforementioned SQL queries are effective to select a date range using the BETWEEN operator and comparison operators.

SQL Date Formats

In SQL, there are various date formats available for use:

1. DATE: The format is YYYY-MM-DD

2. DATETIME: The format is YYYY-MM-DD HH:MI:SS

3. TIMESTAMP: The format is YYYY-MM-DD HH:MI:SS

4. YEAR: The format is YYYY or YY

These formats can help manage date and time values in SQL databases, depending on your needs.

How to Format Dates in SQL Queries

You can format dates in SQL queries using the FORMAT function in SQL Server. This function helps to change the date and time data types into various formats. Here is how to format dates in SQL queries using the FORMAT function:

• To display the date as dd/MM/yyyy, such as 30/06/2022 for June 4, 2022:

SELECT CurrencyCode, Name, FORMAT(ModifiedDate, 'dd/MM/yyyy') AS FormattedDate FROM Sales.Currency;

• To change to a MM/dd/yyyy date format, such as 06/30/2022 for June 4, 2022:

SELECT CurrencyCode, Name, FORMAT(ModifiedDate, 'MM/dd/yyyy') AS FormattedDate FROM Sales.Currency;

• To switch to the yyyy MM dd format:

SELECT CurrencyCode, Name, FORMAT(ModifiedDate, 'yyyy MM dd') AS FormattedDate FROM Sales.Currency;

• To use the yyyyMMdd format:

SELECT CurrencyCode, Name, FORMAT(ModifiedDate, 'yyyyMMdd') AS FormattedDate FROM Sales.Currency;

The above examples showcase how to alter the date formats in SQL queries with the help of the FORMAT function.

SQL provides us with various operators and functions to handle dates and their range effectively. By utilizing the BETWEEN operator, filtering results with < and > operators, and employing various date formats, we can harness the full power of SQL to manage our databases. Additionally, the 'FORMAT' function gives us the flexibility to change the date and time data types into various appealing formats as per our requirements. Understanding these functionalities can make the difference between an efficient and struggling SQL user. It's only a matter of learning them, and the rest is a sweep! Explore how AI2SQL can simplify your SQL query process by effortlessly converting text to SQL queries.