Need help doing SET @StartTime = SELECT GETDATE()

• rightfield

  SSCrazy

  Points: 2418

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  January 14, 2008 at 9:05 am

  #378008

  Hi experts,

  I retrieve data remotely through a linked server and i want to get the time it takes. This is what I thought I would use:

  DECLARE @MyMessage VARCHAR(100)

  DECLARE @StartTime VARCHAR(25)

  DECLARE @StopTime VARCHAR(25)

  SET @StartTime = SELECT GETDATE()

  ....retrieve data from my linked server...

  SET @StopTime = SELECT GETDATE()

  SET @MyMessage = 'Retrieve time: ' + DATEDIFF(mi, @StartTime, @StopTime)

  This just doesn't work. QueryAnalyzer tells me there is "Incorrect syntax near the keyword 'SELECT'." SELECT GETDATE() works fine on its own. What do I have to do different?

  Thank you and

  Warm regards,

• John Mitchell-245523

  SSC Guru

  Points: 148786

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  January 14, 2008 at 9:14 am

  #767709

  Try SELECT @StartTime = GETDATE(). You should declare @StartTime and @StopTime as datetime rather than varchar.

  John

• rightfield

  SSCrazy

  Points: 2418

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  January 14, 2008 at 9:42 am

  #767724

  Thank you John. It's working great.

  Warm regards,