Oracle PL/SQL’s MONTHS_BETWEEN function is a useful tool for calculating the number of months between two dates. This function can be used to determine the time period between two dates, including the fraction of a month.
Syntax
The syntax for MONTHS_BETWEEN function is as follows:
MONTHS_BETWEEN(date1, date2)
where date1 and date2 are two date values that you want to compare.
The function returns a decimal value representing the number of months between the two dates. The decimal portion of the result indicates the fractional part of the month.
Example
Here’s an example of how to use MONTHS_BETWEEN function:
SELECT MONTHS_BETWEEN(to_date('01-04-2023','dd-mm-yyyy'), to_date('01-01-2023','dd-mm-yyyy')) FROM dual;
In this example, the function will return the number of months between January 1, 2023 and April 1, 2023. The result will be 3 since the two dates are exactly 3 months apart.
It’s worth noting that the MONTHS_BETWEEN function can also be used with timestamp values. When used with timestamps, the function calculates the difference between the two timestamps in terms of months.
In conclusion, the Oracle PL/SQL MONTHS_BETWEEN function is a powerful tool for calculating the time difference between two dates or timestamps. It’s a handy feature for developers working with databases who need to analyze data across a time period.