Get a list of dates between two dates using a function

Question

My question is similar to this MySQL question, but intended for SQL Server:

Is there a function or a query that will return a list of days between two dates? For exa

Answer 1

Definately a numbers table, though tyou may want to use Mark Redman's idea of a CLR proc/assembly if you really need the performance.

How to create the table of dates (and a super fast way to create a numbers table)

/*Gets a list of integers into a temp table (Jeff Moden's idea from SqlServerCentral.com)*/
 SELECT TOP 10950 /*30 years of days*/
        IDENTITY(INT,1,1) as N
   INTO #Numbers
   FROM Master.dbo.SysColumns sc1,
        Master.dbo.SysColumns sc2


/*Create the dates table*/
CREATE TABLE [TableOfDates](
    [fld_date] [datetime] NOT NULL,
 CONSTRAINT [PK_TableOfDates] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED 
(
    [fld_date] ASC
)WITH FILLFACTOR = 99 ON [PRIMARY]
) ON [PRIMARY]

/*fill the table with dates*/
DECLARE @daysFromFirstDateInTheTable int
DECLARE @firstDateInTheTable DATETIME

SET @firstDateInTheTable = '01/01/1998'
SET @daysFromFirstDateInTheTable = (SELECT (DATEDIFF(dd, @firstDateInTheTable ,GETDATE()) + 1))

INSERT INTO
      TableOfDates
SELECT 
      DATEADD(dd,nums.n - @daysFromFirstDateInTheTable, CAST(FLOOR(CAST(GETDATE() as FLOAT)) as DateTime)) as FLD_Date
FROM #Numbers nums

Now that you have a table of dates, you can use a function (NOT A PROC) like KM's to get the table of them.

CREATE FUNCTION dbo.ListDates
(
     @StartDate    DATETIME  
    ,@EndDate      DATETIME
)
RETURNS
@DateList table
(
    Date datetime
)
AS
BEGIN

/*add some validation logic of your own to make sure that the inputs are sound.Adjust the rest as needed*/

  INSERT INTO
    @DateList
  SELECT FLD_Date FROM TableOfDates (NOLOCK) WHERE FLD_Date >= @StartDate AND FLD_Date <= @EndDate
  RETURN
END