PRINT statement is used to return user defined message to the client. However you need to be aware of the return type of the print statement. No matter what the input is, print statement always return data as a varchar datatype (or nvarchar if the input is of nvarchar datatype)

Consider the following code and see the difference

SELECT statement

declare @date datetime
select @date = '20101001'
select  @date 

Result

-----------------------
2010-10-01 00:00:00.000

PRINT statement

declare @date datetime
select @date = '20101001'
print @date 

Result

-----------------------
oct  1 2010 12:00AM

As you see the output returned from the above print statement, date values are converted to varchar compatible to server's language. Now change the language settings and run the same code. Set the server's language to dutch

set language dutch

declare @date datetime
select @date = '20101001'
select  @date 

Result

-----------------------
2010-10-01 00:00:00.000

PRINT statement

declare @date datetime
select @date = '20101001'
print @date 

Result

-----------------------
okt  1 2010 12:00AM

As you see the print statement return month name as okt in dutch language. So be aware of this and use the print statement with care