FUNCTIONS IN MYSQL

The syntax to use a function :

SELECT FUNCTION_NAME(COLUMN_NAME) FROM TABLE_NAME;

Functions in MySql are classified into two types:

a) Single row function
b) Multiple row function

a) Single row function:

 These functions operate on a single value to return a single value.
 They can accept one or more arguments but return only one result per row.
 They can be used with SELECT,WHERE and ORDER BY clause.
 They are further categorised into:
i) String functions
ii) Numeric functions
iii) Date and Time functions

i) String functions:

1. ASCII(str):
 Returns numeric value of left-most character.
 Returns 0 if str is the empty string.
 Returns NULL if str is NULL.
 ASCII() works for characters with numeric values from 0 to 255.

mysql> SELECT ASCII('2');

+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ASCII('2') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 50 |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

mysql> SELECT ASCII('dx');

+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ASCII('dx') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 100 |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

2. CHAR(N,... [USING charset_name])

 CHAR() interprets each argument N as an integer and returns a string
consisting of the characters given by the code values of those integers.
  NULL values are skipped.

mysql> SELECT CHAR(77,121,83,81,'76');

+---------------------------------------------------------+
| CHAR(77,121,83,81,'76') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| MySQL |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

3. LENGTH(str)

 Returns the length of the string str, measured in bytes.

mysql> SELECT LENGTH('text');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| LENGTH('text') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 4 |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

4. CONCAT(str1,str2,...)

 Returns the string that results from concatenating the arguments. May have
one or more arguments.
mysql> SELECT CONCAT('My', 'S', 'QL');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| CONCAT('My', 'S', 'QL') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| MySQL |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

5. INSERT(str,pos,len,newstr)

 Returns the string str, with the substring beginning at position pos and len
characters long replaced by the string newstr.
 Returns the original string if pos is not within the length of the string.
 Replaces the rest of the string from position pos if len is not within the length
of the rest of the string.
 Returns NULL if any argument is NULL.
mysql> SELECT INSERT('Quadratic', 3, 10, 'What');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| INSERT('Quadratic', 3, 10, 'What') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| QuWhat |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)
mysql> SELECT INSERT('Quadratic', 3, 4, 'What');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| INSERT('Quadratic', 3, 4, 'What') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| QuWhattic |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)
mysql> SELECT INSERT('Quadratic', 3, 2, 'What');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| INSERT('Quadratic', 3, 2, 'What') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| QuWhatratic |
+---------------------------------------------------------+

6. INSTR(str,substr)

 Returns the position of the first occurrence of substring substr in string str.

mysql> SELECT INSTR('foobarbar', 'bar');

+---------------------------------------------------------+
| INSTR('foobarbar', 'bar') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 4 |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

7. LEFT(str,len)
 Returns the leftmost len characters from the string str, or NULL if any
argument is NULL.
mysql> SELECT LEFT('foobarbar', 5);
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| LEFT('foobarbar', 5) |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| fooba |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

8. LOWER(str)/ LCASE(str)

 Returns the string str with all characters changed to lowercase according
to the current character set mapping.
mysql> SELECT LOWER('QUADRATICALLY');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| LOWER('QUADRATICALLY') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| quadratically |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

9. LPAD(str,len,padstr)

 Returns the string str, left-padded with the string padstr to a length of len
characters.
 If str is longer than len, the return value is shortened to len characters.
mysql> SELECT LPAD('python',4,'??');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| LPAD('python',4,'??') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| pyth |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)
mysql> SELECT LPAD('hi',4,'??');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| LPAD('hi',4,'??') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ??hi |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)
mysql> SELECT LPAD('h',4,'??');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| LPAD('h',4,'??') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ???h |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

10. LTRIM(str)
 Returns the string str with leading space characters removed.
mysql> SELECT LTRIM(' barbar');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| LTRIM(' barbar') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| barbar |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

11. REPEAT(str,count)
 Returns a string consisting of the string str repeated count times. If count
is less than 1, returns an empty string. Returns NULL if str or count are
NULL.
mysql> SELECT REPEAT('MySQL', 3);
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| REPEAT('MySQL', 3) |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| MySQLMySQLMySQL |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

12. REPLACE(str,from_str,to_str)
 Returns the string str with all occurrences of the string from_str replaced
by the string to_str. REPLACE() performs a case-sensitive match when
searching for from_str.
mysql> SELECT REPLACE('www.mysql.com', 'w', 'Ww');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| REPLACE('www.mysql.com', 'w', 'Ww') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| WwWwWw.mysql.com |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

13. REVERSE(str)
 Returns the string str with the order of the characters reversed.
mysql> SELECT REVERSE('abcd');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| REVERSE('abcd') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| dcba |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

14. RIGHT(str,len)
 Returns the rightmost len characters from the string str, or NULL if any
argument is NULL.
mysql> SELECT RIGHT('foobarbar', 4);
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| RIGHT('foobarbar', 4) |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| rbar |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

15. RPAD(str,len,padstr)
 Returns the string str, right-padded with the string padstr to a length of
len characters. If str is longer than len, the return value is shortened to len
characters.
mysql> SELECT RPAD('hi',5,'?');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| RPAD('hi',5,'?') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| hi??? |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

16. RTRIM(str)
 Returns the string str with trailing space characters removed.
mysql> SELECT RTRIM('barbar ');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| RTRIM('barbar ') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| barbar |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

17. STRCMP(str1, str2)

 Compares two strings and returns 0 if both strings are equal, it returns -1
if the first argument is smaller than the second according to the current
sort order otherwise it returns 1.
mysql> SELECT STRCMP('MOHD', 'MOHD');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| STRCMP('MOHD', 'MOHD') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 0 |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)
Another example is −

mysql> SELECT STRCMP('AMOHD', 'MOHD');

+---------------------------------------------------------+
| STRCMP('AMOHD', 'MOHD') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| -1
|
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)
Let's see one more example −

mysql> SELECT STRCMP('MOHD', 'AMOHD');

+---------------------------------------------------------+
| STRCMP('MOHD', 'AMOHD') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| 1
|
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)
 18. SUBSTRING(str,pos)/SUBSTRING(str,pos,len)/
 The forms without a len argument return a substring from string str
starting at position pos.
 The forms with a len argument return a substring len characters long from
string str, starting at position pos.
 It is also possible to use a negative value for pos. In this case, the
beginning of the substring is pos characters from the end of the string,
rather than the beginning.
 A negative value may be used for pos in any of the forms of this function.

mysql> SELECT SUBSTRING('Quadratically',5);

+---------------------------------------------------------+
| SUBSTRING('Quadratically',5) |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ratically |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

mysql> SELECT SUBSTRING('foobarbar' FROM 4);

+---------------------------------------------------------+
| SUBSTRING('foobarbar' FROM 4) |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| barbar |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

mysql> SELECT SUBSTRING('Quadratically',5,6);

+---------------------------------------------------------+
| SUBSTRING('Quadratically',5,6) |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ratica |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

19. TRIM( str)

 Returns the string str with all leading and trailing spaces removed
mysql> SELECT TRIM(' bar ');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| TRIM(' bar ') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| bar |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

20. UPPER(str)/ UCASE(str)

 Returns the string str with all characters changed to uppercase according to the
current character set mapping.
mysql> SELECT UPPER('python');
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| UPPER('python') |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| PYTHON |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)