QUEL Constants

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QUEL Constants

The following special constants can be used in queries:

Constant	Description	Use in
now	The current date and time. You must specify this constant in quotes.	The date() function
null	Indicates a missing or unknown value in a table	Queries and expressions
today	The current date. You must specify this constant in quotes.	The date() function
user	The effective user for the session	Queries and expressions

These constants can be used in queries and expressions. For example:

/* Display the current date and time */
retrieve (dcolumn=date("now"))
/* Add a row to a sales order table, recording the
current user as the sales clerk, and a billing date
calulated as one week from today */

append to sales_order
(item_number="123", clerk=user,
billing_date=date("today")+date("7 days"));

To specify the effective user, use the Ingres -u flag (for operating system commands).