title: MySQL: Insert datetime into other datetime field
body: <p>I have a table with a DATETIME column.
  I would like to SELECT this datetime value and INSERT it into another column.</p>
  
  <p>I did this (note: '2011-12-18 13:17:17' is the value the former SELECT gave me from the DATETIME field):</p>
  
  <pre><code>UPDATE products SET former_date=2011-12-18 13:17:17 WHERE id=1
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>and get </p>
  
  <pre><code>    1064 - You have an error in your SQL syntax; 
  check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version 
  for the right syntax to use near '13:17:17 WHERE itemid=1' at line 1
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Ok, I understand it's wrong to put an unquoted string in there, but is DATETIME just a string in the first place?
  What <em>do</em> I put in there? 
  All I want is reliably transfer the existing value over to a new datetime field...</p>
  
  <p><strong>EDIT:</strong></p>
  
  <p>The reason I ask is: I have this special definition, DATETIME, and somehow I thought it gives me some security and other advantages when handling dates. Now it seems it is simply a specialized VARCHAR, so to speak.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks for your answers, it seems this is indeed the intended behaviour. </p>