Set defaultValue to todays date in a Sequelize migration

Question

I'm using Node Express with Sequelize and I want to set the defaultValue for the column "date" in the database to todays date. I tried with the following migration, but it didn't work, as it set the default date to be the same date as when I ran the migration. I want it to be set to the same date as when the row is created.

module.exports = {
  up: function (queryInterface, Sequelize) {
    return queryInterface.addColumn(
      'Todos',
      'date',
      {
        type: Sequelize.DATEONLY,
        allowNull: false,
        defaultValue: new Date()
      }
    )
  },

I can't understand how that would work.

Shirt

Answer 1

You need to use as a default value the MySQL function NOW().

So your column declaration should look like :

{ 
   type: Sequelize.DATEONLY,
   allowNull: false,
   defaultValue: Sequelize.NOW
}

Keep in mind that this will not populate the fields in your migration. They will be empty, since they were not created with sequelize.

Astronomical

Didn't work for me (2022-03-09), had to use Sequelize.fn('now') – Erasmoerasmus

Doesn't work for me on v6.33.0 (2023-10-25), still have to use Sequelize.fn('now') – Footrest

Answer 2

Sequelize.NOW will work in future but some versions(I tried 4.43.0) seem not support it. I succeeded in setting now() with using Sequelize.fn('now') .

{
  type: Sequelize.DATEONLY,
  allowNull: false,
  defaultValue: Sequelize.fn('now')
}

Reference: https://github.com/sequelize/sequelize/issues/4679

Bernardinabernardine

I need to use Sequelize.fn('now') on v5 also. – Griqua

I had to use Sequelize.fn('NOW') ("now" in uppercase) – Bassist

Answer 3

https://github.com/sequelize/sequelize/issues/645#issuecomment-18461231

  createdAt: {
                field: 'created_at',
                type: DataTypes.DATE,
                allowNull: false,
                defaultValue: DataTypes.NOW
            }

Cloutman

Answer 4

SQL Server users must use literal('CURRENT_TIMESTAMP')

createdAt: {
   field: 'created_at',
   type: DataTypes.DATE,
   allowNull: false,
   defaultValue: literal('CURRENT_TIMESTAMP'),
}

Huggermugger

ERROR: literal is not defined: this does not work for me. – Iden

So sorry I just address this. For whoever has the same issue, literal must be imported from sequelize, it is a helper function. – Huggermugger

Answer 5

Use "literal", see below.

updated_at: {
  allowNull: false,
  type: Sequelize.DATE, 
  defaultValue: Sequelize.literal('CURRENT_TIMESTAMP')
}

Iden

Answer 6

TIME: 2022-05-18

According to latest Sequelize Doc (version v6)

sequelize.define('Foo', {
  bar: {
     type: DataTypes.DATETIME,
     defaultValue: DataTypes.NOW
     // This way, the current date/time will be used to populate this column 
     (at the moment of insertion)
  }
});

Forworn

Answer 7

I had to use

createdAt: {
    type: DataTypes.DATE,
    defaultValue: Sequelize.fn('getdate')
},

Apostasy

Answer 8

Only this worked for me.

createdAt: {
   field: 'created_at',
   type: DataTypes.DATE,
   allowNull: false,
   defaultValue: Sequelize.fn('NOW')
}

Doggy

could you put the json into a code block so that it is easier to read and explain a little about why this worked for you – Zn

Answer 9

Only this worked for me.

sale_date: {
  allowNull: false,
  type: Sequelize.DATE,
  defaultValue: Sequelize.fn('now')
},

Drape

Your answer could be improved by adding more information on what the code does and how it helps the OP. – Governor