How to get first character of a string in SQL

Question

I have a SQL column with a length of 6  Now want to take only the first char of that column  Is there any string function in SQL to do this

User · Answer

It is simple to achieve by the following

DECLARE @SomeString NVARCHAR(20) = 'This is some string'
DECLARE @Result NVARCHAR(20)

Either

SET @Result = SUBSTRING(@SomeString, 2, 3)
SELECT @Result

@Result = his

or

SET @Result = LEFT(@SomeString, 6)
SELECT @Result

@Result = This i

User · Answer

INPUT   STRMIDDLENAME -------------- Aravind Chaterjee Shivakumar Robin Van Parsee  SELECT STRMIDDLENAME   CASE WHEN INSTR STRMIDDLENAME     1 2     0 THEN SUBSTR STRMIDDLENAME 1 1     SUBSTR STRMIDDLENAME INSTR STRMIDDLENAME     1 1  1 1    SUBSTR STRMIDDLENAME INSTR STRMIDDLENAME     1 2  1 1  WHEN INSTR STRMIDDLENAME     1 1     0 THEN SUBSTR STRMIDDLENAME 1 1     SUBSTR STRMIDDLENAME INSTR STRMIDDLENAME     1 1  1 1  ELSE SUBSTR STRMIDDLENAME 1 1  END AS FIRSTLETTERS FROM Dual   OUTPUT STRMIDDLENAME                    FIRSTLETTERS ---------                        ----------------- Aravind Chaterjee                AC            Shivakumar                       S Robin Van Parsee                 RVP

User · Answer

I prefer   SUBSTRING  my column  1  1    because it is Standard SQL-92 syntax and therefore more portable     Strictly speaking  the standard version would be   SUBSTRING  my column FROM 1 FOR 1    The point is  transforming from one to the other  hence to any similar vendor variation  is trivial    p s  It was only recently pointed out to me that functions in standard SQL are  deliberately contrary  by having parameters lists that are not the conventional commalists  in order to make them easily identifiable as being from the standard

User · Answer

SELECT SUBSTR thatColumn  1  1  As NewColumn from student

User · Answer

LEFT colName  1  will also do this  also   It s equivalent to SUBSTRING colName  1  1      I like LEFT  since I find it a bit cleaner  but really  there s no difference either way

User · Answer

SUBSTRING   MyColumn  1   1   for the first character and SUBSTRING   MyColumn  1   2   for the first two

User · Answer

If you search the first char of string in Sql string  SELECT CHARINDEX  char    my char      gt  return 4

User · Answer

Select First two Character in selected Field with Left string Number of Char in int   SELECT LEFT FName  2  AS FirstName FROM dbo NameMaster

[sql] How to get first character of a string in SQL?

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