SUBSTRING Question?

  • Can someone please help! I'm having an issue with a query. It's using a SUBSTRING but I think there's a problem with it. It returns 0 rows when it should return 1. Here is the query in question.

    SELECT v.veh_id, vi.inventory_id, SUBSTRING(bd.buft_string_1, 35, 70), bd.*

    FROM buft_chrysler_data AS bd

    INNER JOIN vehicle AS v WITH (NOLOCK)

    ON SUBSTRING(bd.buft_string_1, 14, 17) = v.vin

    INNER JOIN vehicle_inventory AS vi WITH (NOLOCK)

    ON v.veh_id = vi.veh_id

    AND vi.own_dtm = (SELECT MAX(o.own_dtm)

    FROM ownership AS o WITH (NOLOCK)

    WHERE o.veh_id = v.veh_id

    AND o.tran_account_id = 1) -- Chrysler

    INNER JOIN message_dcx_met_part_audit AS mdmpa WITH (NOLOCK)

    --ON LTRIM(RTRIM(SUBSTRING(bd.buft_string_1, 35, 70))) = LTRIM(RTRIM(mdmpa.message_text))

    ON SUBSTRING(bd.buft_string_1, 35, 70) = mdmpa.message_text

    WHERE bd.tran_event_id = 62139

    I think the issue is on "SUBSTRING(bd.buft_string_1, 35, 70) = mdmpa.message_text". The mdmpa.message_text field is a varchar(70), this is why we're using 70 as our Substring length. However, it doesn't seem to like this. It should match where message_text is equal to "ALL MET ITEMS FOR VIN PROCESSED SUCCESSFULLY". If I simply use "SUBSTRING(bd.buft_string_1, 35, 44) instead where 44 is the exact length of the string it works just fine. How do I account for a varchar field though?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

  • Try using datalength instead of a hardcoded length. Think that should get you the desired result.

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  • I think the issue is on "SUBSTRING(bd.buft_string_1, 35, 70) = mdmpa.message_text"

    Did you prove this by removing the join and getting rows returned?

    If it is the substring then the most likely cause is either bd.buft_string_1 contains non space chars (hidden or otherwise) after "ALL MET ITEMS FOR VIN PROCESSED SUCCESSFULLY" or the text does not start at column 35.

    What is the size of bd.buft_string_1?

    Far away is close at hand in the images of elsewhere.
    Anon.

  • Also check that mdmpa.message_text does not have non space chars following "ALL MET ITEMS FOR VIN PROCESSED SUCCESSFULLY"

    Far away is close at hand in the images of elsewhere.
    Anon.

  • Thanks Sean! I was able to use datalength and it works successfully now. Thanks for everyone's help!

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