timestamp from sap into datetime in sql - sql-server

Question

from the beginning. I extracted data from Sap to MYSQL DB. In some tables, there are columns that were extracted as FLOAT and looks like this: 20131009012152.
As you can see it's like the string but float.
If I try to convert it into datetime, I get errors or overload etc.
I have tried CAST, CONVERT, SRT, SUBSTRING, nothing works.
Last try:
SELECT top 10 CREATED_AT,
SUBSTRING(CAST(STR(CREATED_AT, 25, 5) as varchar), 1, 4)
from databank.tablename;
-- wanted to substract parts (here, year) but I get just empty column as result.
Cast to nvarchar to datetime doesn't work. as well as nvarchar- bigint - datetime.
Hope, somebody can help me, thanks

Answer 1

One option, rather ugly, uses the CONVERT function with a series of string concatenations. I first get your numeric timestamp over to a string using a CTE.
WITH cte AS (
SELECT CAST(20131009012152 AS VARCHAR) num
)
SELECT
CONVERT(datetime, SUBSTRING(num, 1, 4) + '-' + SUBSTRING(num, 5, 2) + '-' +
SUBSTRING(num, 7, 2) + ' ' + SUBSTRING(num, 9, 2) + ':' +
SUBSTRING(num, 11, 2) + ':' + SUBSTRING(num, 13, 2), 120) AS the_date
FROM cte;
The verbosity of this query and your data makes me think that you probably did not export properly. Use this only if SAP really has no ability to export a proper timestamp (which I doubt).
Output:
09.10.2013 01:21:52
Demo

Answer 2

Found the similar way that can be directly used in SELECT:
CONVERT(datetime,
SUBSTRING(CAST(STR(COLUMN, 15) as varchar), 1,5) + '-' +
SUBSTRING(CAST(STR(COLUMN, 15) as varchar),6, 2) + '-' +
SUBSTRING(CAST(STR(COLUMN, 15) as varchar), 8, 2) + ' ' +
SUBSTRING(CAST(STR(COLUMN, 15) as varchar),10, 2) + ':' +
SUBSTRING(CAST(STR(COLUMN, 15) as varchar), 12, 2) + ':' +
SUBSTRING(CAST(STR(COLUMN, 15) as varchar), 14, 2), 120) as [COLUMN]
Result: 2017-01-01 15:33:15.000

Answer 3

Besides an old threat I want to share my solution:
Normally the SAP-Timestamps come like this in a char or varchar: 20220620081129
To bring it into a usable SQL format you need to stretch it into a date/datetime
format with dashes and colons.
This can be easily achieved by converting the text into a int/bigint and then
formatting this number into an output format that looks like a date.
Next step is just converting this resulting text into a datetime.
/*Code:*/
convert(datetime,format(convert(bigint,<fieldname>),'##-##-## ##:##:##'),120)
/*Example*/
DECLARE #SAPTable AS TABLE ([/BIC/XCREATE] VARCHAR(30))
INSERT INTO #SAPTable ([/BIC/XCREATE])
VALUES ('20220822144737');
SELECT convert(DATETIME, format(convert(BIGINT, [/BIC/XCREATE]), '##-##-## ##:##:##'), 120)
FROM #SAPTable
As easy as this.
Just adjust the fieldname [/BIC/XCREATE] and the output format to your needs.
In case you have other (shorter or longer) datetime values then, for sure, some things are needed to be adjusted but the principle is the same.
At the end the result is a real date value in terms of the SQL-Server and can be used anyhow.
I think that way it's easier than fiddling with substrings.