Remove leading spaces from a string:
SELECT LTRIM(' SQL Tutorial') AS LeftTrimmedString;
The LTRIM() function removes leading spaces from a string.
Note: Also look at the RTRIM() function.
LTRIM(string)
Convert the text to lower-case:
SELECT LOWER('SQL Tutorial is FUN!');
The LOWER() function converts a string to lower-case.
Note: Also look at the UPPER() function.
LOWER(text)
Return the length of a string:
SELECT LEN('Iampsp.com');
The LEN() function returns the length of a string.
Note: Trailing spaces at the end of the string is not included when calculating the length. However, leading spaces at the start of the string is included when calculating the length.
Tip: Also look at the DATALENGTH() function.
LEN(string)
Extract 3 characters from a string (starting from left):
SELECT LEFT('SQL Tutorial', 3) AS ExtractString;
The LEFT() function extracts a number of characters from a string (starting from left).
LEFT(string, number_of_chars)
Format a date:
DECLARE @d DATETIME = '12/01/2018';
SELECT FORMAT (@d, 'd', 'en-US') AS 'US English Result',
FORMAT (@d, 'd', 'no') AS 'Norwegian Result',
FORMAT (@d, 'd', 'zu') AS 'Zulu Result';
The FORMAT() function formats a value with the specified format (and an optional culture in SQL Server 2017).
Use the FORMAT() function to format date/time values and number values. For general data type conversions, use CAST() or CONVERT().
FORMAT(value, format, culture)
Compares two SOUNDEX values, and return an integer:
SELECT DIFFERENCE('Juice', 'Jucy');
The DIFFERENCE() function compares two SOUNDEX values, and returns an integer. The integer value indicates the match for the two SOUNDEX values, from 0 to 4.
0 indicates weak or no similarity between the SOUNDEX values. 4 indicates strong similarity or identically SOUNDEX values.
DIFFERENCE(expression, expression)
Return the length of an expression (in bytes):
SELECT DATALENGTH('W3Schools.com');
The DATALENGTH() function returns the number of bytes used to represent an expression.
Note: The DATALENGTH() function counts both leading and trailing spaces when calculating the length of the expression.
DATALENGTH(expression)
Add strings together. Use ‘.’ to separate the concatenated string values:
SELECT CONCAT_WS('.', 'www', 'iampsp', 'com');
The CONCAT_WS() function adds two or more strings together with a separator.
CONCAT_WS(separator, string1, string2, ...., string_n)
Add 2 strings together:
SELECT 'iampsp' + '.com';
The + operator allows you to add two or more strings together.
string1 + string2 + string_n
Add two strings together:
SELECT CONCAT('iampsp', '.com');
The CONCAT() function adds two or more strings together.
CONCAT(string1, string2, ...., string_n)