Development: Omnidex SQL

SQL Functions: CHARACTER_LENGTH

Description

The CHARACTER_LENGTH function returns the number of characters in a string. The abbreviation, CHAR_LENGTH, is supported as a synonym for CHARACTER_LENGTH.

CHARACTER_LENGTH should not be confused with $DATA_LENGTH and $COLUMN_LENGTH. $DATA_LENGTH returns the number of characters plus the null-terminator for STRING datatypes. $COLUMN_LENGTH returns the length of the column as declared in the table.

This function returns an INTEGER datatype.

Syntax

CHAR[ACTER]_LENGTH ( character_expression )

character_expression

Required. Any expression that returns a character-class datatype. Examples of expressions are columns, concatenations of columns, literal strings and functions that return a character datatype.

Examples

Example 1: Column

> select name, character_length(name) len from individuals;

NAME                                                LEN
--------------------------------------------------  -----------
MS. MARY LEWIS                                               14
MRS. ALICE R TOLLIVER                                        21
MR. SIDNEY K TOLLIVER                                        21
MRS. JENNIFER J HOPKINS                                      23
MR. CHARLIE HOPKINS                                          19
MS. KIMBERLY BLUE                                            17
KATHLEEN TUCKER                                              15

Example 2: Character Expression

> select gender, name, char_length(gender || name) len from individuals;

G  NAME                                                LEN
-  --------------------------------------------------  -----------
F  MS. MARY LEWIS                                               15
F  MRS. ALICE R TOLLIVER                                        22
M  MR. SIDNEY K TOLLIVER                                        22
F  MRS. JENNIFER J HOPKINS                                      24
M  MR. CHARLIE HOPKINS                                          20
F  MS. KIMBERLY BLUE                                            18
F  KATHLEEN TUCKER                                              16