> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kinetica.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Conversion Functions Converts `expr` into `conv_type` data type **Conversion Types**:
Numeric String Date/Time
BIGINT CHAR(N) DATE
DECIMAL(P,S) VARCHAR(N) DATETIME
DOUBLE TIME
FLOAT TIMESTAMP
INTEGER TYPE\_DATE
NUMERIC(P,S) TYPE\_TIME
REAL TYPE\_TIMESTAMP
SMALLINT
TINYINT
UNSIGNED BIGINT
When using the `SQL_` prefix, `UNSIGNED BIGINT` becomes `SQL_UNSIGNED_BIGINT` Returns the character associated with the ASCII code given in `expr` Converts the given `expr` to `VARCHAR(1)` type Converts the given `expr` to `VARCHAR(2)` type Converts the given `expr` to `VARCHAR(4)` type Converts the given `expr` to `VARCHAR(8)` type Converts the given `expr` to `VARCHAR(16)` type Converts the given `expr` to `VARCHAR(32)` type Converts the given `expr` to `VARCHAR(64)` type Converts the given `expr` to `VARCHAR(128)` type Converts the given `expr` to `VARCHAR(256)` type Converts `expr` to date (`YYYY-MM-DD`) format Converts `expr` to datetime (`YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS.mmm`) format Converts the given `expr` to `DECIMAL` type Converts the given `expr` to `DOUBLE` type Converts the given `expr` to `REAL` type Converts the given `expr` to `INTEGER` type Converts the given `expr` to `BIGINT` type; if `expr` is a `TIMESTAMP` or `DATETIME` type, the value will be the number of milliseconds since the epoch Converts `expr` to a string format appropriate for the `expr` type Converts `expr` to time (`HH24:MI:SS`) format Converts `expr` to `TIMESTAMP` type Converts the given date/time `expr` to a string matching the given `format`. The returned string will be truncated at 32 characters. See [Date/Time Conversion Codes](/content/sql/query/conversion-functions#sql-datetime-conversion-codes) for the list of format codes. Example:
**Function Call** TO\_CHAR(DATETIME(971181296000), '"Last login: "YYYY-MM-DD')
**Return** Last login: 2000-10-10
Converts the given string to a *date* type with the given format code. See [Date/Time Conversion Codes](/content/sql/query/conversion-functions#sql-datetime-conversion-codes) for the list of format codes. Example: ``` TO_DATE('2017-06-15', 'YYYY-MM-DD') ``` Converts the given string to a *datetime* type with the given format code. See [Date/Time Conversion Codes](/content/sql/query/conversion-functions#sql-datetime-conversion-codes) for the list of format codes. Example: ``` TO_DATETIME('2017-06-15 10:37:30', 'YYYY-MM-DD HH:MI:SS') ``` Converts the given string to a *time* type with the given format code. See [Date/Time Conversion Codes](/content/sql/query/conversion-functions#sql-datetime-conversion-codes) for the list of format codes. Example: ``` TO_TIME('10:37:30', 'HH:MI:SS') ``` Converts the given string to a *timestamp* type with the given format code. See [Date/Time Conversion Codes](/content/sql/query/conversion-functions#sql-datetime-conversion-codes) for the list of format codes. Example: ``` TO_TIMESTAMP('2017-06-15 10:37:30', 'YYYY-MM-DD HH:MI:SS') ``` Converts the given `expr` to `UNSIGNED BIGINT` type Converts the given stringified array of `len` number of *float* values in `expr` to `VECTOR` type. Example: ``` VECTOR('[1.1, 2.2, 3.3]', 3) ``` ## Date/Time Conversion Codes The following formatting codes can be used to convert date/time strings to native date/time objects (with `TO_DATE`, `TO_DATETIME`, `TO_TIME` and `TO_TIMESTAMP`) and for formatting date/time objects as strings (with `TO_CHAR`). These characters are interpreted literally: `-` `/` `,` `.` `;` `:` Other characters need to be quoted in order to be interpreted literally. For example, `MM-DD-YYYY` can be used to convert `01-02-2022` to a date, while `"Today is "MM-DD-YYYY` is needed to convert `Today is 01-02-2022`. In the following table, `Opt` in the Input column indicates that the field may be empty when being read, and still be considered a valid input. This can be useful when reading data from a source that, for example, sometimes includes milliseconds in their time strings and sometimes does not (e.g., the `MMM` code is `Opt`). `Yes` in the Input column indicates that some data must be present in the input string to be considered valid, unless it is after a `$` character, in which case all input after the `$` is optional. | Format Code | Input | Output | Description | | ----------- | ----- | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `_` | Yes | | Any one character | | `?` | Opt | | Zero or more non-digit characters | | `$` | Yes | | Everything after this is optional; e.g., `HH:MI$:SS` would accept `12:34` and `12:34:56` | | `AD` | | Yes | Era indicator without periods | | `A.D.` | | Yes | Era indicator with periods | | `AM` | Yes | Yes | Meridian indicator without periods \[`AM`, `PM`] | | `A.M.` | Yes | Yes | Meridian indicator with periods \[`A.M.`, `P.M.`] | | `BC` | | Yes | Era indicator without periods | | `B.C.` | | Yes | Era indicator with periods | | `C` | Yes | Yes | Number of day in calendar month, with optional leading zero \[`1` - `31`] | | `CC` | | Yes | Century (if last 2 digits of the 4-digit year are `00`, this is the first 2 digits; otherwise, this is first 2 digits + 1) | | `D` | Yes | Yes | Day of week \[`1` - `7`] (*Sunday* - *Saturday*) | | `DAY` | Yes | Yes | Day of week \[`Sunday` - `Saturday`] | | `DD` | Yes | Yes | Number of day in month, with leading zero \[`01` - `31`] | | `DDD` | Yes | Yes | Number of day of year \[`1` - `366`] | | `DL` | Yes | Yes | Date long format (`DAY, MONTH C, RRRR`) | | `DS` | Yes | Yes | Date short format (`M/C/RRRR`) | | `DY` | Yes | Yes | Abbreviated day name (e.g., "Mon") | | `FF[1-9]` | Opt | Yes | Fractional seconds where the number of fractional second digits can be specified (default is 3 digits); when used for input, the string may contain an optional "." preceding the numbers | | `H` | Yes | Yes | Alias for `H12` | | `H12` | Yes | Yes | Hour of day in 12-hour format, with optional leading zero \[`0` - `11`] | | `H24` | Yes | Yes | Hour of day in 24-hour format, with optional leading zero \[`0` - `23`] | | `HH` | Yes | Yes | Alias for `HH12` | | `HH12` | Yes | Yes | Hour of day in 12-hour format, with leading zero \[`00` - `11`] | | `HH24` | Yes | Yes | Hour of day in 24-hour format, with leading zero \[`00` - `23`] | | `I` | Yes | Yes | Last digit of ISO year | | `ID` | Yes | Yes | ISO 8601 day of week \[`1` - `7`] (*Monday* - *Sunday*) | | `IDDD` | Yes | Yes | ISO 8601 day of year \[`001` - `371`] (where `001` is the *Monday* of the 1st ISO week) | | `IW` | Yes | Yes | ISO 8601 week of year \[`01` - `53`] (where `01` contains the first *Thursday* of the year) | | `IY` | Yes | Yes | Last 2 digits of ISO year | | `IYY` | Yes | Yes | Last 3 digits of ISO year | | `IYYY` | Yes | Yes | Last 4 digits of ISO year | | `J` | Yes | Yes | Julian day; the number of days since *January 1, 4712 BC*. Number specified with `J` must be integers. | | `LLL` | Opt | Yes | Whole milliseconds (often positioned after a colon); e.g., `12:34:56:78` => *78 milliseconds*; when used for input, the string may contain an optional "." or ":" preceding the numbers; when "." is found, this code will act like the `MMM` code | | `M` | Yes | Yes | Number of month in year, with optional leading zero \[`1` - `12`] | | `MI` | Yes | Yes | Minute of hour \[`00` - `59`] | | `MM` | Yes | Yes | Number of month in year, with leading zero \[`01` - `12`] | | `MMM` | Opt | Yes | Fractions of a second up to milliseconds; e.g., `12:34:56.78` => *780 milliseconds*; when used for input, the string may contain an optional "." or ":" preceding the numbers; when ":" is found, this code will act like the `LLL` code | | `MON` | Yes | Yes | 3-character abbreviation of month in title case \[`Jan` - `Dec`] | | `MONTH` | Yes | Yes | Full name of month \[`January` - `December`] | | `MS` | Opt | Yes | Alias for `MMM` | | `OF` | Opt | Yes | Time-zone offset from UTC (`TZHTZM`) | | `PM` | Yes | Yes | Alias for `AM` | | `P.M.` | Yes | Yes | Alias for `A.M.` | | `Q` | | Yes | Quarter of the year \[`1` - `4`] (*January-March* - *October-December*) | | `RM` | Yes | Yes | Roman numeral month \[`I` - `XII`] (*January* - *December*) | | `RR` | Yes | Yes | Rounded year. Assume the given 2-digit year occurs in the present century, then:

\* If the assumed date is greater than 50 years into the future, declare the date to be in the previous century
\* If the assumed date is greater than 50 years into the past, declare the date to be in the next century | | `RRRR` | Yes | Yes | Either a 2-digit or 4-digit year; if 2-digit, equivalent to `RR` | | `SCC` | | Yes | Same as `CC` | | `SS` | Yes | Yes | Second of minute \[`00` - `59`] | | `SSSS` | Yes | Yes | Alias for `SSSSS` | | `SSSSS` | Yes | Yes | Seconds past midnight \[`0` - `86399`] | | `SYEAR` | | Yes | Same as `YEAR` | | `SYYYY` | Yes | Yes | Same as `YYYY` | | `TS` | Yes | Yes | Time short format (`H24:MI:SS.MMM`) | | `TZ` | Opt | Yes | Time zone (`TZH`) | | `TZH` | Opt | Yes | Time zone hour (ISO); "Z" or +/- followed by one or two digits (will always output "Z") | | `TZM` | Opt | Yes | Time zone minute (ISO); colon followed by one or two digits; for input, an optional colon is allowed at the front; if present, two digits must follow it | | `US` | Opt | Yes | Microseconds; when used for input, the string may contain an optional "." preceding the numbers | | `W` | Yes | Yes | Week of month \[`1` - `5`], where week 1 starts on the first day of the month and ends on the seventh | | `WW` | Yes | Yes | Week of year \[`1` - `53`], where week 1 starts on the first day of the year and continues to the seventh day of the year | | `X` | Yes | Yes | Local radix character (always `.`. E.g., `HH:MI:SSXFF`) | | `Y` | Yes | Yes | Last 1 digit of year | | `Y,YYY` | Yes | Yes | Year with a comma after the thousands place | | `YEAR` | | Yes | Year spelled out (e.g., "Two Thousand Twenty Five") | | `YY` | Yes | Yes | Last 2 digits of year | | `YYY` | Yes | Yes | Last 3 digits of year | | `YYYY` | Yes | Yes | 4-digit year |