SQL Server/T-SQL Tutorial/String Functions/Char function

A SELECT statement that uses the CHAR function to format output

5> create table Bankers(
6>    BankerID             Integer,
7>    BankerName           VARCHAR(20),
8>    BankerContactLName   VARCHAR(20),
9>     BankerContactFName   VARCHAR(20),
10>     BankerCity           VARCHAR(20),
11>     BankerState          VARCHAR(20),
12>     BankerZipCode        VARCHAR(20),
13>     BankerPhone          VARCHAR(20)
14>  )
15>  GO
1>
2> insert into Bankers values (1, "ABC Inc.","Joe","Smith","Vancouver","BC","11111","111-111-1111");
3> GO
(1 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> insert into Bankers values (2, "DEF Inc.","Red","Rice", "New York", "DE","22222","222-222-2222");
4> GO
(1 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> insert into Bankers values (3, "HJI Inc.","Kit","Cat",  "Paris",    "CA","33333","333-333-3333");
4> GO
(1 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> insert into Bankers values (4, "QWE Inc.","Git","Black","Regina",   "ER","44444","444-444-4444");
4> GO
(1 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> insert into Bankers values (5, "RTY Inc.","Wil","Lee",  "Toronto",  "YU","55555","555-555-5555");
4> GO
(1 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> insert into Bankers values (6, "YUI Inc.","Ted","Larry","Calgary",  "TY","66666","666-666-6666");
4> GO
(1 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> insert into Bankers values (7, "OIP Inc.","Yam","Act",  "San Franc","FG","77777","777-777-7777");
4> GO
(1 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> insert into Bankers values (8, "SAD Inc.","Hit","Eat",  "Orland",   "PO","88888","888-888-8888");
4> GO
(1 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> insert into Bankers values (9, "DFG Inc.","Sad","Lee",  "Wisler",   "PL","99999","999-999-9999");
4> GO
(1 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> insert into Bankers values (0, "GHJ Inc.","Bit","Lee",  "Ticker",   "MN","00000","000-000-0000");
4> GO
(1 rows affected)
1>
2>
3>
4>
5> SELECT BankerName + CHAR(13) + CHAR(10)
6>      + BankerCity + ", " + BankerState + " " + BankerZipCode
7> FROM Bankers
8> WHERE BankerID = 1
9> GO
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABC Inc.
Vancouver, BC 11111
(1 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> drop table Bankers;
4> GO

CHAR(13)

3> CREATE TABLE authors(
4>    au_id          varchar(11),
5>    au_lname       varchar(40)       NOT NULL,
6>    au_fname       varchar(20)       NOT NULL,
7>    phone          char(12)          NOT NULL DEFAULT ("UNKNOWN"),
8>    address        varchar(40)           NULL,
9>    city           varchar(20)           NULL,
10>    state          char(2)               NULL,
11>    zip            char(5)               NULL,
12>    contract       bit               NOT NULL
13> )
14> GO
1> insert authors values("1",  "Joe",   "Abra",   "111 111-1111", "6 St.", "Berkeley",  "CA", "11111", 1)
2> insert authors values("2",  "Jack",  "Majo",   "222 222-2222", "3 St.", "Oakland" ,  "CA", "22222", 1)
3> insert authors values("3",  "Pink",  "Cherry", "333 333-3333", "5 Ln.", "Vancouver", "BC", "33333", 1)
4> insert authors values("4",  "Blue",  "Albert", "444 444-4444", "7 Av.", "Vancouver", "BC", "44444", 1)
5> insert authors values("5",  "Red",   "Anne",   "555 555-5555", "6 Av.", "Regina",    "SK", "55555", 1)
6> insert authors values("6",  "Black", "Michel", "666 666-6666", "3 Pl.", "Regina",    "SK", "66666", 1)
7> insert authors values("7",  "White", "Sylvia", "777 777-7777", "1 Pl.", "Rockville", "MD", "77777", 1)
8> insert authors values("8",  "Yellow","Heather","888 888-8888", "3 Pu",  "Vacaville", "CA", "88888", 0)
9> insert authors values("9",  "Gold",  "Dep",    "999 999-9999", "5 Av.", "Oakland",   "CA", "99999", 0)
10> insert authors values("10", "Siler", "Dean",   "000 000-0000", "4 Av.", "Oakland",   "CA", "00000", 1)
11> 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 rows affected)
(1 rows affected)
1>
2>
3> SELECT "NAME"=au_fname + CHAR(13) + au_lname
4> FROM authors
5> GO
NAME
-------------------------------------------------------------
Joe
Jack
Pink
Blue
Red
Black
White
Yellow
Gold
Siler
(10 rows affected)
1>
2> drop table authors;
3> GO
1>
2>

CHAR(ASCIIValue)

2> -- Create temporary table for numbers:
3> Create Table #ASCIIVals (ASCIIValue SmallInt)
4> GO-- Insert numbers 0 - 127 into table:
1> Insert Into #ASCIIVals (ASCIIValue) Select 0
2> Insert Into #ASCIIVals (ASCIIValue) Select 1
3> Insert Into #ASCIIVals (ASCIIValue) Select 2
4> Insert Into #ASCIIVals (ASCIIValue) Select 3
5> Insert Into #ASCIIVals (ASCIIValue) Select 4
6> Insert Into #ASCIIVals (ASCIIValue) Select 123
7> Insert Into #ASCIIVals (ASCIIValue) Select 124
8> Insert Into #ASCIIVals (ASCIIValue) Select 125
9> Insert Into #ASCIIVals (ASCIIValue) Select 126
10> Insert Into #ASCIIVals (ASCIIValue) Select 127
11> GO-- Return all integer values and corresponding ASCII characters:
(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 rows affected)
(1 rows affected)
1> SELECT ASCIIValue, CHAR(ASCIIValue) As Character FROM #ASCIIVals
2>
3> drop table #ASCIIVals;
4> GO
ASCIIValue Character
---------- ---------
         0
         1 ?
         2 ?
         3 ?
         4 ?
       123 {
       124 |
       125 }
       126 ~
       127 ?
(10 rows affected)

CHAR is the reverse of the ASCII function as it changes a numeric value in to an ASCII character.

4> DECLARE @ASCII_VALUE INT
5> SET @ASCII_VALUE = 82
6> SELECT CHAR(@ASCII_VALUE)
7> GO
-
R
(1 rows affected)