MySQL SUBSTR() Function
Example
Extract a substring from a string (start at position 5, extract 3 characters):
SELECT SUBSTR("SQL Tutorial", 5, 3) AS ExtractString;
Try it Yourself »
Definition and Usage
The SUBSTR() function extracts a substring from a string (starting at any position).
Note: The position of the first character in the string is 1.
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Note: The position of the last character in the string is -1.
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Note: The SUBSTR() and MID() functions equals to the SUBSTRING() function.
Syntax
SUBSTR(string, start, length)
OR:
SUBSTR(string FROM start FOR length)
Parameter Values
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| string | Required. The string to extract from |
| start | Required. The start position. Can be both a positive or negative number. If it is a positive number, this function extracts from the beginning of the string. If it is a negative number, this function extracts from the end of the string. The position of the first character in the string is 1 and the position of the last character in the string is -1 |
| length | Optional. The number of characters to extract. If omitted, the whole string will be returned (from the start position) |
Technical Details
| Works in: | From MySQL 4.0 |
|---|
More Examples
Example
Extract a substring from the text in a column (start at position 2, extract 5 characters):
SELECT SUBSTR(CustomerName,
2, 5) AS ExtractString
FROM Customers;
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FROM Customers;
Example
Extract a substring from a string (start from the end, at position -5, extract 5 characters):
SELECT SUBSTR("SQL Tutorial", -5, 5) AS ExtractString;
Try it Yourself »