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SQL Functions

Functions are special commands that perform computations or processes and can be used anywhere an expression or condition is needed in SQL. There are different types of functions including character, number, date, aggregate, and conversion functions. Oracle provides a special table called DUAL that can be used to test functions. Character functions modify character columns and include functions like LOWER, UPPER, INITCAP, LENGTH, INSTR, SUBSTR, RPAD, LPAD, LTRIM, RTRIM, CHR, ASCII, and TRANSLATE. Number functions perform math operations and include functions like ABS, CEIL, FLOOR, MOD, POWER, ROUND, SQRT, and TRUNC. Aggregate functions

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582 views7 pages

SQL Functions

Functions are special commands that perform computations or processes and can be used anywhere an expression or condition is needed in SQL. There are different types of functions including character, number, date, aggregate, and conversion functions. Oracle provides a special table called DUAL that can be used to test functions. Character functions modify character columns and include functions like LOWER, UPPER, INITCAP, LENGTH, INSTR, SUBSTR, RPAD, LPAD, LTRIM, RTRIM, CHR, ASCII, and TRANSLATE. Number functions perform math operations and include functions like ABS, CEIL, FLOOR, MOD, POWER, ROUND, SQRT, and TRUNC. Aggregate functions

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68 Nikita Kumari
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Functions:

Functions are special commands that perform computations of processes on a


column, string constant, value or group of values, they can be used anywhere an
expression or condition is needed within the full sql * plus command set.
Types of functions:
 Character functions
 Number functions
 Date functions
 Aggregate functions
 Conversion functions
 Other functions

Dual
Oracle provides a special table named, DUAL, which can be used to test any
function. It is a small oracle worktable, which consists of only one row and one
column, and contains the value x in that column.

Character Functions:
Character functions are used primarily to modify character columns.

LOWER: It converts strings to all lowercase.


Syntax : LOWER (‘string’);
Example: SELECT LOWER (‘RAMESH’) FROM DUAL;
Output : ramesh

UPPER : It converts strings to all uppercase.


Syntax : UPPER (‘string’);
Example : SELECT UPPER (‘ramesh’) FROM DUAL;
Output : RAMESH

INITCAP: It returns string with the first letter in upper case.


Syntax : INITCAP (‘string’);
Example : SELECT INITCAP (‘RAMESH KUMAR’) FROM DUAL;
Output : Ramesh Kumar

LENGTH : It returns the length of string.


Syntax : LENGTH (‘string’);
Example : SELECT LENGTH (‘RAMESH’) FROM DUAL;
Output : 6

INSTR: It will find the location of string x in the string data


Syntax : INSTR (‘string1’,’string2’);
Example : SELECT INSTR (‘MANIPAL UNIVERSITY’,’PAL’)
FROM DUAL;
Output : 5

SUBSTR: It returns a portion of character, beginning at character m,n characters


long (if n is omitted, to the end character). The first position of character is 1.
Syntax : SUBSTR (‘character’, m,[n]);
Example : SELECT SUBSTR (‘MANIPAL UNIVERSITY’,5,7)
FROM DUAL;
Output : PAL

RPAD: It returns character1, right-padded to length n with the characters in


character2, replicated as many times as necessary, if character2 is omitted, right-
pad with blanks.
Syntax : RPAD (‘character1’,n,’character2’);
Example : SELECT RPAD (‘RAMESH’,10,’*’) FROM DUAL;
Output : RAMESH****

LPAD: It returns character1, left-padded to length n with the sequence of


characters in character2, character2 defaults to blanks.
Syntax : LPAD (‘character1’,n,’character2’);
Example : SELECT RPAD (‘RAMESH’,10,’*’) FROM DUAL;
Output : ****RAMESH

LTRIM: It removes characters from the left of character with initial characters
removed upto the first character not in set.
Syntax : LTRIM (‘string’,’set’);
Example : SELECT LTRIM (‘xxxXxxRAMESH’,’x’) FROM DUAL;
Output : XxxRAMESH

RTRIM: It returns character, with final characters removed after the last character
not in the set. Set is optional
Syntax : RTRIM (‘character’,’set’);
Example : SELECT RTRIM (‘RAMESHxxXxx’,’x’) FROM DUAL;
Output : RAMESHxxX
CHR : It convert ASCII values into characters.
Syntax : CHR (string);
Example : SELECT CHR (169) FROM DUAL;
Output : A

ASCII : It converts characters into ASCII values.


Syntax : ASCII (string);
Example : SELECT ASCII (‘A’) FROM DUAL;
Output : 169

TRANSLATE : It translates character set in from_c to character set n to_c.


Syntax : TRANSLATE (‘character’,’from_c’,’to_c’);
Example : SELECT TRANSLATE (‘MUMBAI’,’MU’,’AU’) FROM
DUAL;
Output : ACMBAI

NUMBER FUNCTIONS:
ABS : It returns the absolute value of data (i.e. positive
value)
Syntax : ABS (data);
Example : SELECT ABS (-5000) FROM DUAL;
Output : 5000

CEIL : It returns the smallest integer greater than or


equal to data.
Syntax : CEIL (data);
Example : SELECT CEIL (123.55) FROM DUAL;
Output : 124

FLOOR : It returns the largest integer less than or equal to


data.
Syntax : FLOOR (data);
Example : SELECT FLOOR (123.55) FROM DUAL;
Output : 123
MOD : It returns the modulus of dividing data by y.
Syntax : MOD (data,y);
Example : SELECT MOD (101,2) FROM DUAL;
Output : 1

POWER : It returns the data raised to the power of y.


Syntax : POWER (data,y);
Example : SELECT POWER (10,2) FROM DUAL;
Output : 100

ROUND : Where n is the number of decimal places to


which the data is rounded.
Syntax : ROUND (data,n);
Example : SELECT ROUND (123.55,0), ROUND(123.55,1)
FROM DUAL;
Output : 124 123.6

SQRT : It returns the square root of data.


Syntax : SQRT (data);
Example : SELECT SQRT (64) FROM DUAL;
Output : 8

TRUNC : Where n is the number of decimal places for


truncation
Syntax : TRUNC (data,n);
Example : SELECT TRUNC (123.55,0) TRUNC(123.55,1)
FROM DUAL;
Output : 123 123.5

AGGREGATE FUNCTIONS:
AVG : It returns average value of n, ignoring null values
Syntax : AVG ([DISTINCT|ALL] n);
Example : SELECT AVG (rate) FROM ITEM_MASTER;

MIN : It returns minimum value of expression.


Syntax : MIN ([DISTINCT|ALL] expr);
Example : SELECT MIN (marks) FROM STUDENT;

MAX : It returns maximum value of expression.


Syntax : MAX ([DISTINCT|ALL] expr);
Example : SELECT MAX (marks) FROM STUDENT;

COUNT : It returns the number of rows where expression is


not null.
Syntax : COUNT ([DISTINCT|ALL] expr);
Example : SELECT COUNT (roll) FROM STUDENT;

COUNT(*) : It returns the number of rows in the table including duplicates and
those with null.
Syntax : COUNT (*);
Example : SELECT COUNT (*) FROM STUDENT;

SUM : It returns sum of values of n.


Syntax : SUM ([DISTINCT|ALL] expr);
Example : SELECT SUM (qty) FROM ITEM_MASTER;

DATE FUNCTION:
Consider the date 15-Jan-98
ADD_MONTHS : To add months to one date to get another.
Syntax : ADD_MONTHS (date,value);
Example : SELECT ADD_MONTHS (’15-JAN-98’,5) FROM
DUAL;
Output : 15-JAN-98

LAST_DAY : The last day of a date’s month.


Syntax : LAST_DAY (date);
Example : SELECT LAST_DAY (’15-JAN-98’,5) FROM DUAL;
Output : 31-JAN-98
Example : SELECT LAST_DAY (’15-FEB-98’,5) FROM DUAL;
Output : 28-FEB-98

MONTHS_BETWEEN : Number of months between 2 dates.


Syntax : MONTHS_BETWEEN (date1,date2);
Example : SELECT MONTHS_BETWEEN (’15-JAN-
98’,’20- MAR-98’) FROM DUAL;

NEXT_DAY : Day of next occurrences of a week


Syntax : NEXT_DAY(date1,day of week);
Example : SELECT NEXT_DAY (’15-JAN-98’,’MON’) FROM
DUAL;
Output : 19-JAN-98
TO display system date in SQL
Example : SELECT SYSDATE FROM DUAL;
Output : 18-AUG-2007

TO display User name to work


Example : SELECT USER FROM DUAL;
Output : SCOTT

TO display system time in SQL


Example : SELECT TO_CHAR (SYSDATE,’HH:MI:SS’)FROM
DUAL;
Output : 06:37:30

CONVERSION FUNCTIONS:
TO_CHAR: TO_CHAR function can be used to convert a date
or number to a character stiring.
Syntax : TO_CHAR (n[,fmt]);
With the TO_CHAR function, a date item can be formatted many ways. The format
must be enclosed within single quotes. Consider 19-AUG-96 as the system date,
then.
Example : SELECT TO_CHAR (SYSDATE,’MONTH’) FROM
DUAL;
Output : August
Example : SELECT TO_CHAR (SYSDATE,’dd/mm/yyyy’) FROM DUAL;
Output : 19/08/1996

OTHER FUNCTIONS:
NVL : The NVL function is used to substitute any NULL
value with a user specified value.
Syntax : NVL (x,expression);
Example : SELECT EMP_NO,ENAME,NVL(COMM,200) FROM
DUAL;
Q. Write a query in SQL whose sal>1500 then the commission is 200.
Q. Write a query in SQL whose emp_no=1001 then the commission will be null.

DECODE: The DECODE function can be used to expand any abbreviations used in
the table.

Q. PATNA has been coded as PAT, RANCHI as RAN, JAMSHEDPUR a JAM, BOKARO
as BOK, in the column, city of the customer table.
Example : SELECT CITY, DECODE (CITY,’PAT’, ’PATNA’, ’RAN’,
’RANCHI’,’JAM’,’JAMSHEDPU’,’BOK’,’BOKARO’,’NOT SPECIFIED’)”CITY NAME” FROM
CUSTOMER;

GREATEST: Greatest is used to display highest value of a list of values.


Syntax : GREATEST (List of values);
Example : SELECT GREATEST (10,30,20,15) FROM DUAL;

LEAST : Least is used to display lowest value of a list of values.


Syntax : LEAST (List of values);
Example : SELECT LEAST (10,30,-2,20,-3) FROM DUAL;

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