# Datetime query for data source in Reports

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/datetime-query-for-data-source-in-reports/60325>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [June 2, 2022, 11:06pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/datetime-query-for-data-source-in-reports/60325 "2022-06-02T23:06:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RayJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@RayJohn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/RayJohn)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 11:06pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/datetime-query-for-data-source-in-reports/60325/1 "2022-06-02T23:06:48Z")

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Hello all, just wonder if anyone can help with something basic in reports:

I have 4 parameters with expression:

rawstartdate  
Date type  
dateArithmetic(now(), -12, “hr”)

rawenddate  
Date type  
now()

StartDate  
String type  
dateFormat({rawstartdate}, “MM-dd-yyyy HH:mm:ss”)

EndDate  
String type  
dateFormat({rawenddate}, “MM-dd-yyyy HH:mm:ss”)

and my query is a Basic SQL Query:

SELECT \*  
FROM my\_table  
WHERE t\_stamp BETWEEN {StartDate} AND {EndDate}  
Order by t\_stamp ASC

how ever, I keep getting syntax errors go to Design/Preview tab:  
WARN: Simple Query could not be completedIncorrect syntax near ‘05’.  
(current time is 5)

when I do the above query in the query browser, I do get the results.

Am I not type casting correctly in the parameters declarations?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![josborn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@josborn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/josborn)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2022, 12:35am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/datetime-query-for-data-source-in-reports/60325/2 "2022-06-03T00:35:19Z")

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I think the issue is with the date format you are doing, but why do you have 4 parameters instead of just 2?

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**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2022, 1:08am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/datetime-query-for-data-source-in-reports/60325/3 "2022-06-03T01:08:25Z")

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A Basic SQL Query inserts parameters between curly braces using string conversions. Which means to appear properly in the query, non-numeric items must have single quotes outside the curly braces. Plus, java date/time values convert using java syntax, which is generally _ **not** _ parseable by DBs as dates.

The simplest solution is to use a Named Query, which can pass complex types (like dates) through to the DB without converting to/from strings.