Datetime(14) return value differences between MySQL v. 4.x and 3.x

Hi

Is there any way to force the output format of datetime fields in
MySQL versions from 4.0? We have a few large databases running on v.
3.something and we are running several different applicatons that make
a presumption that the return values of datetime(14) are formatted to
'YYYYMMDDHHMMSS'. However, the new versions seem to return it like
'2006-01-02 12:12:50'. Can I somehow make it return this like
'20060102121250', the way it works on v. 3.x.y?

There are just too many places that would need a change in code that it
wouldn't be possible to handle them all. A few tries of googling
about this didn't give me too much hope. I bet someone has faced the
same problem and solved it.

--
AH

"Asteri Hakola" <no.email@com.invalid> wrote in message
news:pan.2006.03.07.15.45.31.975514@com.invalid...
> the new versions seem to return it like
> '2006-01-02 12:12:50'. Can I somehow make it return this like
> '20060102121250', the way it works on v. 3.x.y?

I'm using NOW() as a datetime value in the following examples; you can use
any datetime field or expression.

A datetime value can be coerced to an integer by putting it in an integer
context:
SELECT NOW() + 0;

Or you can format any datetime value with great flexibility using the
DATE_FORMAT() function:
SELECT DATE_FORMAT(NOW(), '%Y%m%d%k%i%s');

See http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/4.1/...functions.html
entries for NOW() and DATE_FORMAT().

Regards,
Bill K.

On Tue, 07 Mar 2006 10:34:55 -0800, Bill Karwin wrote:
> I'm using NOW() as a datetime value in the following examples; you can use
> any datetime field or expression.
>
> A datetime value can be coerced to an integer by putting it in an integer
> context:
> SELECT NOW() + 0;
>
> Or you can format any datetime value with great flexibility using the
> DATE_FORMAT() function:
> SELECT DATE_FORMAT(NOW(), '%Y%m%d%k%i%s');

Thanks for your answer, but as far as I understand, this would need
changes to current queries, and changes to software are not possible in
this situation. What I need is backwards compatibility, not rewriting and
compiling code and installing new binaries when just upgrading from v.3 to
v.4 or v.5

--
AH