fix: Return Int for Date - Date instead of duration

datafusion/expr-common/src/type_coercion/binary.rs

@@ -260,7 +260,25 @@ impl<'a> BinaryTypeCoercer<'a> {
                 )
             })
         }
+        Minus if is_date_minus_date(lhs, rhs) => {
+            return Ok(Signature {
+                lhs: lhs.clone(),
+                rhs: rhs.clone(),
+                ret: Int64,
+            });
+        }
         Plus | Minus | Multiply | Divide | Modulo  =>  {
+            // Special case: Date - Date should return Int64 (days difference)
+            // This aligns with PostgreSQL, DuckDB, and MySQL behavior
+            // See: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/functions-datetime.html
+            if matches!(self.op, Minus) && is_date_minus_date(lhs, rhs) {
+                return Ok(Signature {
+                    lhs: lhs.clone(),
+                    rhs: rhs.clone(),
+                    ret: Int64,
+                });
+            }
+
             if let Ok(ret) = self.get_result(lhs, rhs) {
                 // Temporal arithmetic, e.g. Date32 + Interval
                 Ok(Signature{
@@ -281,6 +299,7 @@ impl<'a> BinaryTypeCoercer<'a> {
                     ret,
                 })
             } else if let Some(coerced) = temporal_coercion_strict_timezone(lhs, rhs) {
+
                 // Temporal arithmetic by first coercing to a common time representation
                 // e.g. Date32 - Timestamp
                 let ret = self.get_result(&coerced, &coerced).map_err(|e| {
@@ -351,6 +370,15 @@ fn is_decimal(data_type: &DataType) -> bool {
     )
 }
 
+/// Returns true if both operands are Date types (Date32 or Date64)
+/// Used to detect Date - Date operations which should return Int64 (days difference)
+fn is_date_minus_date(lhs: &DataType, rhs: &DataType) -> bool {
+    matches!(
+        (lhs, rhs),
+        (DataType::Date32, DataType::Date32) | (DataType::Date64, DataType::Date64)
+    )
+}
+
 /// Coercion rules for mathematics operators between decimal and non-decimal types.
 fn math_decimal_coercion(
     lhs_type: &DataType,

datafusion/physical-expr/src/expressions/binary.rs

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ use arrow::datatypes::*;
 use arrow::error::ArrowError;
 use datafusion_common::cast::as_boolean_array;
 use datafusion_common::{Result, ScalarValue, internal_err, not_impl_err};
+
 use datafusion_expr::binary::BinaryTypeCoercer;
 use datafusion_expr::interval_arithmetic::{Interval, apply_operator};
 use datafusion_expr::sort_properties::ExprProperties;
@@ -162,6 +163,94 @@ fn boolean_op(
     op(ll, rr).map(|t| Arc::new(t) as _)
 }
 
+/// Returns true if both operands are Date types (Date32 or Date64)
+/// Used to detect Date - Date operations which should return Int64 (days difference)
+fn is_date_minus_date(lhs: &DataType, rhs: &DataType) -> bool {
+    matches!(
+        (lhs, rhs),
+        (DataType::Date32, DataType::Date32) | (DataType::Date64, DataType::Date64)
+    )
+}
+
+/// Computes the difference between two dates and returns the result as Int64 (days)
+/// This aligns with PostgreSQL, DuckDB, and MySQL behavior where date - date returns an integer
+///
+/// Implementation: Uses Arrow's sub_wrapping to get Duration, then converts to Int64 days
+fn apply_date_subtraction(
+    lhs: &ColumnarValue,
+    rhs: &ColumnarValue,
+) -> Result<ColumnarValue> {
+    use arrow::compute::kernels::numeric::sub_wrapping;
+
+    // Use Arrow's sub_wrapping to compute the Duration result
+    let duration_result = apply(lhs, rhs, sub_wrapping)?;
+
+    // Convert Duration to Int64 (days)
+    match duration_result {
+        ColumnarValue::Array(array) => {
+            let int64_array = duration_to_days(&array)?;
+            Ok(ColumnarValue::Array(int64_array))
+        }
+        ColumnarValue::Scalar(scalar) => {
+            // Convert scalar Duration to Int64 days
+            let array = scalar.to_array_of_size(1)?;
+            let int64_array = duration_to_days(&array)?;
+            let int64_scalar = ScalarValue::try_from_array(int64_array.as_ref(), 0)?;
+            Ok(ColumnarValue::Scalar(int64_scalar))
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Converts a Duration array to Int64 days
+/// Handles different Duration time units (Second, Millisecond, Microsecond, Nanosecond)
+fn duration_to_days(array: &ArrayRef) -> Result<ArrayRef> {
+    use datafusion_common::cast::{
+        as_duration_microsecond_array, as_duration_millisecond_array,
+        as_duration_nanosecond_array, as_duration_second_array,
+    };
+
+    const SECONDS_PER_DAY: i64 = 86_400;
+    const MILLIS_PER_DAY: i64 = 86_400_000;
+    const MICROS_PER_DAY: i64 = 86_400_000_000;
+    const NANOS_PER_DAY: i64 = 86_400_000_000_000;
+
+    match array.data_type() {
+        DataType::Duration(TimeUnit::Second) => {
+            let duration_array = as_duration_second_array(array)?;
+            let result: Int64Array = duration_array
+                .iter()
+                .map(|v| v.map(|val| val / SECONDS_PER_DAY))
+                .collect();
+            Ok(Arc::new(result))
+        }
+        DataType::Duration(TimeUnit::Millisecond) => {
+            let duration_array = as_duration_millisecond_array(array)?;
+            let result: Int64Array = duration_array
+                .iter()
+                .map(|v| v.map(|val| val / MILLIS_PER_DAY))
+                .collect();
+            Ok(Arc::new(result))
+        }
+        DataType::Duration(TimeUnit::Microsecond) => {
+            let duration_array = as_duration_microsecond_array(array)?;
+            let result: Int64Array = duration_array
+                .iter()
+                .map(|v| v.map(|val| val / MICROS_PER_DAY))
+                .collect();
+            Ok(Arc::new(result))
+        }
+        DataType::Duration(TimeUnit::Nanosecond) => {
+            let duration_array = as_duration_nanosecond_array(array)?;
+            let result: Int64Array = duration_array
+                .iter()
+                .map(|v| v.map(|val| val / NANOS_PER_DAY))
+                .collect();
+            Ok(Arc::new(result))
+        }
+        other => internal_err!("duration_to_days expected Duration type, got: {}", other),
+    }
+}
+
 impl PhysicalExpr for BinaryExpr {
     /// Return a reference to Any that can be used for downcasting
     fn as_any(&self) -> &dyn Any {
@@ -251,6 +340,11 @@ impl PhysicalExpr for BinaryExpr {
         match self.op {
             Operator::Plus if self.fail_on_overflow => return apply(&lhs, &rhs, add),
             Operator::Plus => return apply(&lhs, &rhs, add_wrapping),
+            // Special case: Date - Date returns Int64 (days difference)
+            // This aligns with PostgreSQL, DuckDB, and MySQL behavior
+            Operator::Minus if is_date_minus_date(&left_data_type, &right_data_type) => {
+                return apply_date_subtraction(&lhs, &rhs);
+            }
             Operator::Minus if self.fail_on_overflow => return apply(&lhs, &rhs, sub),
             Operator::Minus => return apply(&lhs, &rhs, sub_wrapping),
             Operator::Multiply if self.fail_on_overflow => return apply(&lhs, &rhs, mul),

datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/datetime/arith_date_date.slt

@@ -1,16 +1,15 @@
 # date - date → integer
 # Subtract dates, producing the number of days elapsed
 # date '2001-10-01' - date '2001-09-28' → 3
+# This aligns with PostgreSQL, DuckDB, and MySQL behavior
+# Resolved by: https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/19528
 
-# note that datafusion returns Duration whereas postgres returns an int
-# Tracking issue: https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/19528
-
-query ?
+query I
 SELECT '2001-10-01'::date - '2001-09-28'::date
 ----
-3 days 0 hours 0 mins 0 secs
+3
 
 query T
 SELECT arrow_typeof('2001-10-01'::date - '2001-09-28'::date)
 ----
-Duration(s)
+Int64

datafusion/sqllogictest/test_files/datetime/dates.slt

@@ -94,13 +94,6 @@ caused by
 Error during planning: Cannot coerce arithmetic expression Timestamp(ns) + Utf8 to valid types
 
 
-# DATE minus DATE
-# https://github.com/apache/arrow-rs/issues/4383
-query ?
-SELECT DATE '2023-04-09' - DATE '2023-04-02';
-----
-7 days 0 hours 0 mins 0 secs
-
 # DATE minus Timestamp
 query ?
 SELECT DATE '2023-04-09' - '2000-01-01T00:00:00'::timestamp;
@@ -113,17 +106,18 @@ SELECT '2023-01-01T00:00:00'::timestamp - DATE '2021-01-01';
 ----
 730 days 0 hours 0 mins 0.000000000 secs
 
-# NULL with DATE arithmetic should yield NULL
-query ?
+# NULL with DATE arithmetic should yield NULL (but Int64 type)
+query I
 SELECT NULL - DATE '1984-02-28';
 ----
 NULL
 
-query ?
+query I
 SELECT DATE '1984-02-28' - NULL
 ----
 NULL
 
+
 # to_date_test
 statement ok
 create table to_date_t1(ts bigint) as VALUES