SQL Server/T-SQL Tutorial/String Functions/PATINDEX

Finding the Start Position of a String Within Another String Using Wildcards

4>
5> CREATE TABLE employee(
6>    id          INTEGER NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
7>    first_name  VARCHAR(10),
8>    last_name   VARCHAR(10),
9>    salary      DECIMAL(10,2),
10>    start_Date  DATETIME,
11>    region      VARCHAR(10),
12>    city        VARCHAR(20),
13>    managerid   INTEGER
14> );
15> GO
1> INSERT INTO employee VALUES (1, "Jason" ,  "Martin", 5890,"2005-03-22","North","Vancouver",3);
2> GO
(1 rows affected)
1> INSERT INTO employee VALUES (2, "Alison",  "Mathews",4789,"2003-07-21","South","Utown",4);
2> GO
(1 rows affected)
1> INSERT INTO employee VALUES (3, "James" ,  "Smith",  6678,"2001-12-01","North","Paris",5);
2> GO
(1 rows affected)
1> INSERT INTO employee VALUES (4, "Celia" ,  "Rice",   5567,"2006-03-03","South","London",6);
2> GO
(1 rows affected)
1> INSERT INTO employee VALUES (5, "Robert",  "Black",  4467,"2004-07-02","East","Newton",7);
2> GO
(1 rows affected)
1> INSERT INTO employee VALUES (6, "Linda" ,  "Green" , 6456,"2002-05-19","East","Calgary",8);
2> GO
(1 rows affected)
1> INSERT INTO employee VALUES (7, "David" ,  "Larry",  5345,"2008-03-18","West","New York",9);
2> GO
(1 rows affected)
1> INSERT INTO employee VALUES (8, "James" ,  "Cat",    4234,"2007-07-17","West","Regina",9);
2> GO
(1 rows affected)
1> INSERT INTO employee VALUES (9, "Joan"  ,  "Act",    6123,"2001-04-16","North","Toronto",10);
2> GO
(1 rows affected)
1>
2> select * from employee;
3> GO
id          first_name last_name  salary       start_Date              region     city                 managerid
----------- ---------- ---------- ------------ ----------------------- ---------- -------------------- -----------
          1 Jason      Martin          5890.00 2005-03-22 00:00:00.000 North      Vancouver                      3
          2 Alison     Mathews         4789.00 2003-07-21 00:00:00.000 South      Utown                          4
          3 James      Smith           6678.00 2001-12-01 00:00:00.000 North      Paris                          5
          4 Celia      Rice            5567.00 2006-03-03 00:00:00.000 South      London                         6
          5 Robert     Black           4467.00 2004-07-02 00:00:00.000 East       Newton                         7
          6 Linda      Green           6456.00 2002-05-19 00:00:00.000 East       Calgary                        8
          7 David      Larry           5345.00 2008-03-18 00:00:00.000 West       New York                       9
          8 James      Cat             4234.00 2007-07-17 00:00:00.000 West       Regina                         9
          9 Joan       Act             6123.00 2001-04-16 00:00:00.000 North      Toronto                       10
(9 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> SELECT ID, first_name
4> FROM employee
5> WHERE PATINDEX("%J%", first_name) > 0
6> GO
ID          first_name
----------- ----------
          1 Jason
          3 James
          8 James
          9 Joan
(4 rows affected)
1>
2>
3>
4>
5> drop table employee;
6> GO

PATINDEX searches for a pattern of characters within a string.

PATINDEX is not case sensitive.
PATINDEX returns 0 if no match is found.
PATINDEX allows the handling of wildcards, unlike CHARINDEX.
12> SELECT PATINDEX("%sqle%","This is www.sqle.ru")
13>
14> GO
-----------
         13
(1 rows affected)

SELECT PATINDEX("%M_rs%", "The stars near Mars are far from ours")

4> SELECT PATINDEX("%M_rs%", "The stars near Mars are far from ours")
5> GO
-----------
         16
(1 rows affected)
1>

select PATINDEX("%v_r%", "SQL Server")

2>
3> select PATINDEX("%v_r%", "SQL Server")
4> GO
-----------
          8
(1 rows affected)

WHERE PATINDEX("%computer[^s]%", notes) > 0

4> CREATE TABLE titles(
5>    title_id       varchar(20),
6>    title          varchar(80)       NOT NULL,
7>    type           char(12)          NOT NULL,
8>    pub_id         char(4)               NULL,
9>    price          money                 NULL,
10>    advance        money                 NULL,
11>    royalty        int                   NULL,
12>    ytd_sales      int                   NULL,
13>    notes          varchar(200)          NULL,
14>    pubdate        datetime          NOT NULL
15> )
16> GO
1>
2> insert titles values ("1", "Secrets",   "popular_comp", "1389", $20.00, $8000.00, 10, 4095,"Note 1","06/12/94")
3> insert titles values ("2", "The",       "business",     "1389", $19.99, $5000.00, 10, 4095,"Note 2","06/12/91")
4> insert titles values ("3", "Emotional", "psychology",   "0736", $7.99,  $4000.00, 10, 3336,"Note 3","06/12/91")
5> insert titles values ("4", "Prolonged", "psychology",   "0736", $19.99, $2000.00, 10, 4072,"Note 4","06/12/91")
6> insert titles values ("5", "With",      "business",     "1389", $11.95, $5000.00, 10, 3876,"Note 5","06/09/91")
7> insert titles values ("6", "Valley",    "mod_cook",     "0877", $19.99, $0.00,    12, 2032,"Note 6","06/09/91")
8> insert titles values ("7", "Any?",      "trad_cook",    "0877", $14.99, $8000.00, 10, 4095,"Note 7","06/12/91")
9> insert titles values ("8", "Fifty",     "trad_cook",    "0877", $11.95, $4000.00, 14, 1509,"Note 8","06/12/91")
10> GO
(1 rows affected)
(1 rows affected)
(1 rows affected)
(1 rows affected)
(1 rows affected)
(1 rows affected)
(1 rows affected)
(1 rows affected)

1> UPDATE titles
2> SET notes=STUFF(notes, PATINDEX("%computer[^s]%", notes),
3>     DATALENGTH("computer"), "Hi-Tech Computers")
4> WHERE PATINDEX("%computer[^s]%", notes) > 0
5> GO
(0 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> drop table titles;
4> GO