SQLCODE -180 invalid date or time

SQLCODE -180: invalid date or time — the string is not a valid DATE/TIME value.

What it means

• After every EXEC SQL, DB2 returns a SQLCODE: 0 means success, +100 means no row found, and negative values mean an error.

Common causes

• Date string in the wrong format (MM/DD/YYYY vs YYYY-MM-DD).
• Impossible date like month 13.

How to diagnose

• Display the offending string.
• Check the expected format for the column.

How to fix it

• Reformat to ISO (YYYY-MM-DD) before the SQL.
• Validate dates in input edits.

Example: Use ISO date format

ISO format avoids -180 entirely.

Interview tip

• Q: How would you troubleshoot a SQLCODE -180 invalid date or time in production?
• A: I would check the SQLCODE and SQLERRM immediately after the failing statement, reproduce in SPUFI, then apply the specific fix.

Prevention checklist

• Always check SQLCODE after every EXEC SQL statement.
• Log the SQLCODE, SQLSTATE and failing statement for support.