Understanding SQL can be a game-changer for anyone working with data. SQL, or Structured Query Language, helps you communicate with databases and perform various operations.
In this post, we’ll simplify some common SQL string functions using examples from a dataset containing the names of the states in the United States.
Thanks to Evolytix’s AI-assisted platform, even those with no prior SQL knowledge can easily convert plain English commands into SQL queries.
Combining Text (CONCAT)
Imagine you have a list of state names and their abbreviations, and you want to combine them into a single piece of text.
Prompt – “Combine the state name with its abbreviation.”
Extracting Part of the Text (SUBSTRING)
Sometimes you might need just a portion of a text, like the first few letters of a state name starting with the 3rd letter.
Prompt – “Starting with the 3rd letter, get the following three characters of each state name.”
Replacing Part of the Text (REPLACE)
If you want to replace spaces with hyphens in state names.
Replace spaces with hyphens in state names.
Finding the Position of a Substring (CHARINDEX)
If you want to find where ‘California’ appears in state names.
Prompt – “Find the position of ‘California’ in state names.”
Changing Text to Uppercase (UPPER)
You might need all state names in uppercase letters.
Prompt – “Convert state names to uppercase.”
Changing Text to Lowercase (LOWER)
You might need all state names in lowercase letters.
Prompt – “Convert state names to lowercase.”
Counting Characters (LEN)
You might want to know how long each state name is.
Prompt – “Find the length of each state name.”
Reversing Text (REVERSE)
If you want to reverse the state names.
Prompt – “Reverse the state names.”
