MySQL SUBSTRING() Function
Example
Extract a substring from a string (start at position 5, extract 3 characters):
SELECT SUBSTRING("SQL Tutorial", 5, 3) AS ExtractString;
Try it Yourself »
Definition and Usage
The SUBSTRING() function extracts a substring from a string (starting at any position).
Note: The SUBSTR() and MID() functions are synonyms of the SUBSTRING() function.
Syntax
SUBSTRING(string, start, length)OR:
SUBSTRING(string FROM start FOR length)Parameter Values
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| string | Required. The string to extract from |
| start | Required. The start position |
| length | Optional. The number of characters to extract. If omitted, the whole string will be returned (from the start position) |
Note
- The first position in string is 1
- If start is a positive number, the SUBSTRING() function starts from the beginning of the string
- If start is a negative number, the SUBSTRING() function starts from the end of the string
Technical Details
| Works in: | MySQL 5.7, MySQL 5.6, MySQL 5.5, MySQL 5.1, MySQL 5.0, MySQL 4.1, MySQL 4.0, MySQL 3.23 |
|---|
More Examples
Example
Extract a substring from the text in a column (start at position 2, extract 5 characters):
SELECT SUBSTRING(CustomerName,
2, 5) AS ExtractString
FROM Customers;
Try it Yourself »
Example
Extract a substring from a string (start from the end, at position -5, extract 5 characters):
SELECT SUBSTRING("SQL Tutorial", -5, 5) AS ExtractString;
Try it Yourself »
