/* these all work in mysql */
 /* 1997/05/05 */
 insert into table_1 (idate) values (19970505) ;
 insert into table_1 (idate) values ('19970505') ;
 insert into table_1 (idate) values ('1997-05-05');
 insert into table_1 (idate) values ('1997.05.05');
 insert into table_1 (idate) values ('1997 05 05');
 
 select idate from table_1 where idate >= '1997-05-05';
 select idate from table_1 where idate >= 19970505;
 select mod(idate,100)1 from table_1 where idate >= 19970505;
 
 /* The following will not work */
 /* because '19970505' is compared as a string to '1997-05-05' */
 
 select idate from table_1 where idate >= '19970505';