In attempting to write a generic "insert_into" function for my DBI subclass (for a MySQL database) I came across this annoyance:

Let's say I have an array, @values = ( 'test', 'Now()' ), and I build an SQL statement like this: INSERT INTO test ( Name, EntryDate ) VALUES ( ?, ? ).

If I call prepare and execute (passing the SQL statement to prepare, and @values to execute), the date that actually gets inserted into EntryDate is null. This, I've determined, is because execute is passing the value as a string ( "Now()" ) rather than a bare word ( Now() ).

If I call prepare, then bind_param( 2, $values[1], SQL_DATE ), I get the same result. This, I presume, is because the database driver only distinguishes character and integers, and treats the SQL_DATE type like a character.

If I call bind_param( 2, $values[1], SQL_INTEGER ), then everything works fine.

So here's my question: Is this what I've got to do, or is there something I'm overlooking, some easier/better way of doing it?

In reply to DBI placeholders, bind_values, and SQL_DATE by christopherbarsuk

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