String Handling Functions Part 7

Reverse! I've used this as an interview questions many times, challenging a candidate to reverse a string using code. It's a good way to test basic string skills. It's posible to do it with no code in TSQL, which doesn't make for much of a test (assuming you know the function exists). But is it useful beyond that? The answer is a definite yes, you'll find times when having a built-in REVERSE can enable some very elegant solutions to string problems.

Andy Warren is a software trainer focusing on SQL Server, a member of the PASS Board of Directors, and a principal in this site - SQLShare.com.

tomaz.tsql on 10/25/2010

this is even a simpler method: declare @email varchar(50) = 'webmaster@sqlshare.nz' print reverse(reverse(parsename(@email,1)))

tomaz.tsql on 10/25/2010

this is even simpler version to last bits of email out: declare @email varchar(50) = 'webmaster@sqlshare.nz' print reverse(reverse(parsename(@email,1)))

Charlie Bruno on 10/26/2010

Informative. I cannot wait to use this on an interview.

Stephen on 10/26/2010

Nice

Peggy on 10/26/2010

great to know instead of using long parsing routines

Terrance on 10/26/2010

Never knew that there was a reverse function.

Yelena Varshal on 10/26/2010

Thanks!

Ed Svastits on 10/26/2010

Too bad there isn't a revcharindex() function in T-SQL. Perhaps in SQL Server 2011?

Kenneth Wymore on 10/26/2010

Great video! Excellent examples of how reverse could be used.

Rod on 10/26/2010

Never knew about the REVERSE function in T-SQL. Thank you!

Leonard Peoples on 10/26/2010

Very helpful.

Martin Miller on 10/26/2010

Good technique for getting the last (rightmost) instance of a character. Thanks Andy.

James Lim on 10/26/2010

Good Information. I don't work with strings that often, and I can see the advantages of using the reverse function.

Sean on 10/26/2010

This will help with the SQL challenge to get all the email addresses out of long text string.

Dexter Jones on 10/26/2010

Good coverage of an often-overlooked tool and how it can simplify one's TSQL code.

Mohamed Irshad on 10/26/2010

cool

kalapala baburao on 10/27/2010

ok

Max on 10/27/2010

I never knew about this function, Thanks for the video, Had a thought, what about a ".co.uk" example? Your example would just return the "uk"

Todd Burrell on 10/27/2010

Nice job of incorporating the use of charindex to sort of close the loop on the charindex video from a couple of weeks ago by showing an application for it.

Don Weigend on 10/27/2010

Excellent tip, thank you!

Olu on 10/28/2010

That was simply the best of all the string functions tutorials so far. I particularly found the practical uses of it very, very helpful. Keep it coming.

Calvin Johnson on 10/28/2010

Cool

Steve Harris on 10/28/2010

good examples

Cheryl on 10/28/2010

Excellent - never knew REVERSE existed.

GParvathesam on 11/1/2010

-

Kat on 11/21/2010

Great information.

Derek on 2/18/2011

What a neat trick! I never would have thought of using the REVERSE function for something like that. It would have helped me 6 months ago on another project I was doing.

srinu on 3/8/2011

Its good

ramesh on 4/27/2011

superrrrrrrrrrrrr...........

Ashish on 5/12/2011

cool video..shows things to do in different way

Current on 6/19/2011

good analysis