The error message “Msg 206, Level 16, State 2, Line 9: Operand type clash” in SQL Server indicates that there’s a mismatch between data types in your query. This typically occurs when an operation involves incompatible data types, such as attempting to assign or compare an integer (int) to a date (date) column.
Common Causes
- Implicit Data Type Conversion: SQL Server may attempt to implicitly convert data types, leading to errors when the conversion isn’t straightforward or possible.
- Incorrect Default Values in CASE Statements: Using a numeric default like 0 in a CASE expression that returns dates can cause this error.
- Mismatched Column and Value Types in INSERT Statements: Inserting values into a table without ensuring that the data types match the column definitions can lead to this error.
How to Resolve
- Ensure Consistent Data Types: Verify that all operands in your expressions are of compatible data types. For instance, if you’re working with date columns, ensure that you’re not assigning or comparing them to integers.
- Use Proper Default Values in CASE Statements: When using CASE expressions that return dates, ensure that all possible return values are of the date type. For example:
CASE
WHEN condition THEN SomeDateColumn
ELSE CAST('1900-01-01' AS date)
END
- Avoid using numeric defaults like 0 in such scenarios.
- Check INSERT Statements: Ensure that the values you’re inserting into a table match the data types of the corresponding columns. For example, if a column is of type date, make sure you’re inserting a date value, not an integer.
- Use Explicit Casting When Necessary: If you need to convert between data types, use explicit casting functions like CAST() or CONVERT() to make the conversion clear and controlled.
Example
Problematic Query:
SELECT
CASE
WHEN EntryDate BETWEEN @StartDate AND @EndDate THEN EntryDate
ELSE 0
END AS ResultDate
Issue: The ELSE clause returns an integer (0), which is incompatible with the date type returned in the THEN clause.
Corrected Query:
SELECT
CASE
WHEN EntryDate BETWEEN @StartDate AND @EndDate THEN EntryDate
ELSE CAST('1900-01-01' AS date)
END AS ResultDate
By ensuring that both the THEN and ELSE clauses return values of the same data type, the error is resolved.