Convert a string to the proper case using SQL language

This user-defined function takes an input string and converts it to upper and lower case (or proper case) format. It can handle names like O'Brian and McMurray. It also standardizes P.O. Boxes.

 Create FUNCTION UpperLowerCase (@name varchar(100)) RETURNS varchar(100) AS BEGIN declare @cnt smallint select @cnt = 2 select @name = ltrim(rtrim(@name)) if @name is null or len(@name) = 0 goto finish select @name = upper(substring(@name,1,1)) + lower(substring(@name,2,len(@name)-1)) WHILE @cnt < len(@name) BEGIN select @name = substring(@name,1, @cnt) + upper(substring(@name,@cnt+1,1)) + substring(@name,@cnt+2,len(@name)-(@cnt+1)) where @name is not null and @name <> ' ' and (substring(@name,@cnt,1) in (' ', '-', '/') or (substring(@name,@cnt,1) between '0' and '9' and substring(@name,@cnt+1,1) between 'a' and 'z' and substring(@name,@cnt+1,1) not in ('n','t','s','r')) or (substring(@name,@cnt,1) in ('.') and substring(@name,@cnt+1,1) not in (' ',',')) or substring(@name,@cnt-1,2) = 'mc' or (substring(@name,@cnt-1,1) = 'O' and substring(@name,@cnt,1) = '''')) select @cnt = @cnt + 1 END select @name = 'P.O. Box ' + substring(@name,8,len(@name)-7) where @name like 'Po Box%' and len(@name) > 7 select @name = 'P.O. Box ' + substring(@name,9,len(@name)-8) where @name like 'P O Box%' and len(@name) > 8 select @name = 'P.O. Box ' + substring(@name,17,len(@name)-16) where @name like 'Post Office Box%' and len(@name) > 16 finish: RETURN @name END

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This was first published in February 2005

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