Job error: converting datetime from char string?

Hello,

I'm trying to set up a Job in SQL Server 2000 that emails company employees if they haven't completed a timesheet in the last 24 hrs.

The only job step I have looks like:

declare
@.em varchar(100),
@.flname varchar(50),
@.ls datetime,
@.bdy varchar(500)

declare ts_cursor cursor for
SELECT FL_EMAIL, FL_NAME, LASTSHEET FROM F_AND_L WHERE dateadd(dd,1,LASTSHEET)>getdate()
open ts_cursor
fetch next from ts_cursor
into @.em, @.flname, @.ls

while @.@.FETCH_STATUS=0
begin
select @.bdy='Dear ' +@.flname+ ','+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+
'Hello, this is an automatic email. The timesheet records seem to indicate'+
' that the last time you completed a timesheet was '+@.ls+ ' .'+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+
'Could you please complete one? Thanks :)'+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+
'Regards,'+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+
'The Intranet'
exec master.dbo.sendmail @.em,@.bdy,@.subject='Timesheets'
fetch next from ts_cursor
into @.em, @.flname, @.ls
end
close ts_cursor
deallocate ts_cursor

(I should add that this was cannibalised from an existing job and I've never done this before).

At the moment it returns an error:

"Executed as user: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. Syntax error converting datetime from character string. [SQLSTATE 22007] (Error 241). The step failed."

What does this mean, and how do I fix it? I've run the select query in Query Analyser and it runs fine. My only thought is that it's the date format that's screwing it but I don't know how to check.

Any suggestions?

Ta,

Spud.The error is in the formating of your message string, you can only concatenate string variables.

select @.bdy='Dear ' +@.flname+ ','+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+
'Hello, this is an automatic email. The timesheet records seem to indicate'+
' that the last time you completed a timesheet was '+@.ls+ ' .'+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+
'Could you please complete one? Thanks '+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+
'Regards,'+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+CHAR(13)+CHAR(10)+

Test this, it will error out

declare @.ls datetime

set @.ls = getdate()

print 'The time is ' + @.ls

However either of these will work

declare @.ls varchar(30)

set @.ls = getdate()

print 'The time is ' + @.ls

** OR **

declare @.ls datetime

set @.ls = getdate()

print 'The time is ' + CONVERT(VARCHAR(30),@.ls)