Custom user-defined string functions by Igor Nikiforov

Custom user-defined string functions by Igor Nikiforov

Serdar Yegulalp, Contributor

Montreal-based SQL Server programmer Igor Nikiforov has written a number of useful Transact-SQL custom string manipulation functions that can be put to work in a variety of database projects. Many of these functions would normally be performed by business logic (for instance, in an Active Server Page), but including them as user functions in SQL opens up a broad range of possible programming tricks.

Some of the functions in this package include:

GETWORDCOUNT(): Counts the number of words in a string. Optionally, a user can specify a delimiter character if a space is not being used; the default delimiters are space, tab, carriage return and line feed.

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This was first published in May 2005

GETWORDNUM(): Returns a specified word from a string -- i.e., fifth word -- with user-specifiable delimiters.

OCCURS(): Counts the number of occurrences of a character expression within another character expression.

AT() / RAT(): Returns the numeric position of the leftmost or rightmost occurrence of a character string within another character string.

PROPER(): Formats a string in name-capitalization format -- i.e., only the first letter of each word is capitalized.

ARABTOROMAN(): Converts conventional Arabic numerals in a numeric expression to a Roman character string. The reverse can be done through ROMANTOARAB(), also included.

PADL(), PADR(), PADC(): Returns a string from an expression which is padded with spaces or characters to a specified length either on the left, right or both sides, respectively.

RCHARINDEX(): Similar to the existing CHARINDEX() function in SQL Server, but works from right to left instead of left to right.

Keep in mind that user-defined functions in very large views or long-running stored procedures can significantly impact performance. The best time to use a function like that would be when you are generating results to be stored in a table.

Serdar Yegulalp is editor of the Windows Power Users Newsletter. Check it out for the latest advice and musings on the world of Windows network administrators -- and please share your thoughts as well!


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