Скачать или смотреть Resolving the unrecognized time format error in Snowflake

A guide to effectively handling unrecognized time format errors in Snowflake using the TO_TIMESTAMP function.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/72770722/ asked by the user 'Gauri02' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/19093270/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/72772497/ provided by the user 'Dave Welden' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/95014/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Time format is not recognized in snowflake

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Fixing Unrecognized Time Format Errors in Snowflake

When working with data in Snowflake, you might encounter a frustrating error message that reads: "Timestamp '8/05/2018 9:03:53 PM' is not recognized." This issue can arise when trying to convert a string timestamp into a recognizable date format using functions like to_date() or to_timestamp(). In this guide, we will explore how to efficiently tackle this problem.

Understanding the Issue

The root of the problem lies in the format of the timestamp string you are trying to convert. In this case, the format used is 8/05/2018 9:03:53 PM, which can be misinterpreted by Snowflake if the correct format is not specified. Snowflake relies on user guidance to correctly interpret date and time strings by specifying the format explicitly.

Solution: Using the to_timestamp Function Correctly

To successfully convert the timestamp, you must specify the exact format of the string you are working with. Here’s how to do it:

Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the Format: Determine the current format of your timestamp. In this example, it is MM/DD/YYYY HH12:MI:SS AM or alternatively, DD/MM/YYYY HH12:MI:SS AM depending on your preferred date representation.

Use the to_timestamp() Function:

If your string is in the MM/DD/YYYY format, you would use:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

If it’s in the DD/MM/YYYY format, the command would be:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Choosing the Appropriate Conversion

MM/DD/YYYY Format: This format considers the first number as the month. For example, '8/05/2018' refers to May 8, 2018.

DD/MM/YYYY Format: Here, the first number indicates the day. Thus, '8/05/2018' would be interpreted as August 5, 2018.

Example Usage

Assuming you are certain about the format of your datetime string, here’s a complete example:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This will return the correctly formatted timestamp without any errors.

Conclusion

Handling date formats in Snowflake can be tricky, but understanding how to specify the format with the to_timestamp function can greatly simplify your tasks. Always double-check the expected format and ensure you're using the correct format specifiers to prevent errors.

For further assistance or clarification, feel free to comment below or reach out!