If DATE appears as the data type of a column in the statements and the polar_comp_redwood_date configuration parameter is set to TRUE, DATE is translated to TIMESTAMP when the table definition is stored in the database. In this case, a time component is also stored in the column along with the date. This rule is consistent with the DATE data type of Oracle.

If polar_comp_redwood_date is set to FALSE, the data type of the column in a CREATE TABLE or ALTER TABLE statement remains as a native PostgreSQL DATE data type and is stored in the database. PostgreSQL DATE data type stores only the date without a time component in the column.

DATE can appear as a data type in any other context such as the data type of a variable in an SPL declaration section, or the data type of a formal parameter in an SPL procedure or SPL function, or the return type of an SPL function. In this case, regardless of the setting of polar_comp_redwood_date, DATE is always internally translated to a TIMESTAMP and can thus handle an existing time component.