ASA Database Administration Guide
  Database Options
    Alphabetical list of options

RETURN_DATE_TIME_AS_STRING option [database]

Function 

To control how a date, time, or timestamp value is passed to the client application when queried.

Allowed values 

ON, OFF

Scope 

Can be set as a temporary option only, for the duration of the current connection.

Default 

OFF

See also 

DATE_FORMAT option [compatibility]

TIME_FORMAT option [compatibility]

TIMESTAMP_FORMAT option [compatibility]

Description 

This option indicates whether date, time, and timestamp values are returned to applications as a date or time datatype or as a string.

When this option is set to ON, the engine converts the date, time, or timestamp value to a string before it is sent to the client in order to preserve the TIMESTAMP_FORMAT, DATE_FORMAT, or TIME_FORMAT option setting.

Sybase Central and Interactive SQL automatically turn the RETURN_DATE_TIME_AS_STRING option ON.