Pull string between a certain string and a tab (char(9))

Question

Pull string between a certain string and a tab (char(9))

Jeff Sims-413169

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February 2, 2016 at 8:45 am

#399662

I need to pull whatever the string is in a text column that occurs after the word Requestor: and before the next tab or char(9) in the text field. I am getting frustrated trying to accomplish the stop at the tab. This is a free form field in our form so there could be any format of string and number of words after Requestor:

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Luis Cazares SSC Guru Points: 183698 More actions · Answer 1

You just need a combination of SUBSTRING and CHARINDEX. Be sure to consider the possibility of strings missing Requestor: or char(9) or both.

If you want help with the code, please post sample data and what you've tried.

Luis C.
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Are you seriously taking the advice and code from someone from the internet without testing it? Do you at least understand it? Or can it easily kill your server?

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ScottPletcher SSC Guru Points: 100949 More actions · Answer 2

Here's some sample code, in case it helps:

DECLARE @text_column varchar(max)

SET @text_column =

'I need to pull whatever the string is in a text column that occurs after the word Requestor: and before the next tab or ' + char(9) + ' in the text field. I am getting frustrated trying to accomplish the stop at the tab. This is a free form field in our form so there could be any format of string and number of words after Requestor:' + CHAR(9)

SELECT

text_column,

CASE WHEN requestor_byte = 0 THEN '<Not found>'

ELSE SUBSTRING(text_column, requestor_byte + literal_length, tab_byte - requestor_byte - literal_length)

END AS requestor_value

FROM (

SELECT @text_column AS text_column UNION ALL

SELECT 'let''s see what happens if no tab is found after Requestor: but there''s still a bunch of text after it.'

) AS test_data

CROSS APPLY (

SELECT LEN('Requestor:') AS literal_length,

CHARINDEX('Requestor:', text_column) AS requestor_byte

) AS assign_alias_names1

CROSS APPLY (

SELECT CASE WHEN CHARINDEX(CHAR(9), text_column, requestor_byte) = 0

THEN LEN(text_column) + 1 ELSE CHARINDEX(CHAR(9), text_column, requestor_byte) END AS tab_byte

) AS assign_alias_names2

Edit: Adjusted code so that if no char(9) found, it will use the rest of the text as "Requstor:" data.

SQL DBA,SQL Server MVP(07, 08, 09) A socialist is someone who will give you the shirt off *someone else's* back.

Jeff Sims-413169 Say Hey Kid Points: 711 More actions · Answer 3

Thanks. I was very close, actually changed to that code as I didn't allow if there was no tab after. Plus I basically had it right in my code, sorry didn't post it in first post except I had to CAST the text column as a varchar(max) to work with the LEN -1, etc.

Thanks.

Jeff Sims-413169 Say Hey Kid Points: 711 More actions · Answer 4

Thanks. I basically had it just wasn't casting the text field as varchar(max) so was having issues with the LEN -1. But also ended up using your code with a few changes as I wasn't accounting for no tab after the first string. thanks.