Stuff function in T-SQL

Question

select STUFF(
STUFF(RIGHT('000000' + CAST([run_duration] AS VARCHAR(6)), 6)
 , 3, 0, ':')
 , 6, 0, ':') 
 AS [LastRunDuration (HH:MM:SS)]
 from sysjobhistory

The query I have given above works fine but I am trying to understand it more clear. My observations are:

1. First we cast the run duration into varchar and with a length 6 and append six 0's to right of it which becomes if its is 10 then 00000010
2. After we use the stuff function to insert : in between this here it is at the 3rd position so the above one becomes 00:000010
3. Again we use stuff to insert the : symbol to the sixth position so it becomes 00:00:0010

But when I run the query if there is a values 10 it shows as 00:00:10.

How that can be?

Answer 1

In your first bullet you say the value becomes 00000010. That is incorrect. It actually becomes 000010 because of the RIGHT( , 6).

To clarify, compare the difference:

SELECT LEFT('00000010', 6), RIGHT('00000010', 6);

Results:

------ ------
000000 000010

• Biju jose: but when using RIGHT() in the above exp it's right(00000010,6) which gives you the output 000000,so how it will become 000010
• Aaron Bertrand: I think you are mixing up LEFT and RIGHT. Did you try both using a simple example?
• Biju jose: oops yes aaron i just thought the reverse thanks for helping me