gsql_ts_to_epoch_seconds()

Converts a timestamp in canonical string format to Unix epoch time, which is the number of seconds since Jan 1, 1970 00:00.

In 4.2.1, two new timestamp conversion functions are available for loading jobs, offering different behaviors for date handling, especially for dates prior to 1970: gsql_ts_to_epoch_seconds_legacy() and gsql_ts_to_epoch_seconds_signed().

Syntax

gsql_ts_to_epoch_seconds(timestamp)

timestamp

Required. The timestamp to convert to Unix epoch time. The timestamp parameter should be in one of the following formats:

UINT

Returns the number of seconds since 1970-01-01 00:00:00 for valid timestamps within the supported range.
Throws an exception if the timestamp is invalid or before 1970-01-01 00:00:00.

gsql_ts_to_epoch_seconds("2022-06-30 22-08-28") -> 1656652105

Comparison of Timestamp Conversion Functions
Function	Return type	Supported Time Range	Response to Invalid/Unsupported Datetimes	Description
gsql_ts_to_epoch_seconds()	`UINT`	`1970-01-01 00:00:00` to `9999-12-31 23:59:59`	Throws exception	Converts a timestamp to Unix epoch time (from 1970 onwards).
gsql_ts_to_epoch_seconds_legacy()	`uint64_t`	`1970-01-01 00:00:00` to `9999-12-31 23:59:59`	Returns defaultTimestamp	Similar to `gsql_ts_to_epoch_seconds()`, but returns 0 for pre-1970 timestamps, maintaining backward compatibility.
gsql_ts_to_epoch_seconds_signed()	`int64_t`	`0001-01-01 00:00:00` to `9999-12-31 23:59:59`	Returns defaultTimestamp	Supports a full date range, including pre-1970 timestamps, and returns negative epoch values for those dates.

If you need to avoid exceptions for invalid or pre-1970 dates, or require support for historical dates, consider using gsql_ts_to_epoch_seconds_legacy() or gsql_ts_to_epoch_seconds_signed().