title: decipher this postgresql syntax?
body: <p>I have a query in an excel file that I inherited from the previous user/creator of the tool. The external connection is to a <code>PostgreSQL</code> database. Here's the line of script that I need to decipher so that I can hopefully adjust the date range for the query:</p>
  
  <p>with</p>
  
  <pre><code>icon_date as (select max(icon.date::date)/* '1/1/2014'::date*/ as icon_date from pmm.icon)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>...</p>
  
  <p>pmm is the schema and .icon is the table name</p>
  
  <p>My specific question is what this part means:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>/* '1/1/2014'::date*/</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I have no clue what surrounding a date::data type with <code>/*  */</code> would do in the first part of the query. Any ideas? I can post more of query if that would help. </p>