SQL FORMAT() Function

The FORMAT() Function

The FORMAT() function is used to format how a field is to be displayed.

SELECT FORMAT(column_name,format) FROM table_name;

Parameter	Description
column_name	Required. The field to be formatted.
format	Required. Specifies the format.

In this tutorial we will use the well-known Northwind sample database.

Below is a selection from the "Products" table:

ProductID	ProductName	SupplierID	CategoryID	Unit	Price
1	Chais	1	1	10 boxes x 20 bags	18
2	Chang	1	1	24 - 12 oz bottles	19
3	Aniseed Syrup	1	2	12 - 550 ml bottles	10
4	Chef Anton's Cajun Seasoning	2	2	48 - 6 oz jars	21.35
5	Chef Anton's Gumbo Mix	2	2	36 boxes	25

The following SQL statement selects the product name, and price for today (formatted like YYYY-MM-DD) from the "Products" table:

SELECT ProductName, Price, FORMAT(Now(),'YYYY-MM-DD') AS PerDate
FROM Products;