MS SQL, How to make a TfdQuerry returns Date in a specific format?

[Squall_FF8 1]

Hey guys,
I have old MS SQL 2008 and a Query (FireDAC), that returns some fields in Date format. In a Delphi application all work great, it seems FireDac takes care to visualize Date to FormatSettings.

However when I open a FastReport document, it seems it convert Date to a the PC local settings (different from my changes in FormatSettings). And that is not good, because on different machines, results could look differently.

I wonder, is there a way, to force Dates in FastReport to be in my desired format regardless of the PC local? 
A possible solution, could be if I force the Query to return the desired format, I just wonder how?

[Lars Fosdal 1887]

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/38394002/how-to-format-date-on-ms-sql-server-2008

[Squall_FF8 1]

Good old Convert ...

 

I'm wondering is there more convenient way - to set format per session, like in Oracle (you set some local settings only for "your" session).
The reason is that I have tables with 20+ fields (at least 6 are in date format) and that will make huge Select statements. 

[Lars Fosdal 1887]

Can't you create a view that do the convert for you, so that you don't have to fiddle with the conversions in that SQL?

[weirdo12 28]

Add a BeforePrint handler to the memo control. Make sure that you clear the DataField and DataSet properties of the memo control or BeforePrint won't have any effect..

 

procedure Memo13OnBeforePrint(Sender: TfrxComponent);
begin
  TfrxMemoView(Sender).Text := FormatDateTime('yyyy-mm-dd', <Ticket."ticket_date">);                                                                            
end;

 

No formatting:

 

With the BeforePrint:

Edited August 29 by weirdo12

[Squall_FF8 1]

@weirdo12 Great example and practical illustration!!!
May we adapt it, if the text is in RichView (instead of Memo) and it is more complicated, like:

xxxxx  [Ticket."ticket_date"]  xxxxxx

 

Edited August 29 by Squall_FF8

[weirdo12 28]

8 minutes ago, Squall_FF8 said:

May we adapt it, if the text is in RichView (instead of Memo) and it is more complicated, like:

xxxxx  [Ticket."ticket_date"]  xxxxxx

 

If you double-click the RichView component is there a Format tab? If so, look in expressions and pick your date/time column and set the format string there. If the RichView contains multiple columns, each one will be listed in Expressions.

 

 

[Squall_FF8 1]

On 8/29/2025 at 7:11 PM, weirdo12 said:

If you double-click the RichView component is there a Format tab?

Not in RichText:

[weirdo12 28]

Try adding a variable. I included a bunch of screen shots because it's not exactly obvious that you have to create a new Category before you can create a variable.

 

 

Then add a Category:

 

 

Select the Category and click Variable and assign it a value:

 

 

Close Edit Variables. Now you *should* be able to drop that variable into the Rich Edit control.

 

 

Edited Thursday at 09:23 PM by weirdo12

[Squall_FF8 1]

Wow it worked! Thank you VERY MUCH, @weirdo12 !!!!
I had never created variables in FR itself (just trough Delphi code).
That is a very neat trick!
Thank you for taking time for the screenshots and step by step how to do it!