SQL PUZZLE | Extract data Between Hyphens without using SubString function? | SQL Interview Question

In the puzzle you have to extract data between the two hyphens without using SUBSTRING function. For more details please refer sample input and expected output.

Sample Input

Expected output

Script – DDL and INSERT sample data

--

CREATE TABLE ExtractData
(
	  Id INT
	, Vals VARCHAR(100)
)
GO

INSERT INTO ExtractData VALUES
(1,'HelloPawan-25-Hi'	   ),
(4,'Hello-22-where are you'  ),
(5,'Hunn-98-I am here'	   ),
(2,''),
(3,NULL)
GO

SELECT * FROM ExtractData
GO


--

SOLUTION | Using ParseName

--

SELECT Id,IIF(Vals='','',PARSENAME(REPLACE(vals,'-','.'),2)) Vals
FROM ExtractData

--

OUTPUT

--

Id          Vals
----------- ----------
1           25
4           22
5           98
2           
3           NULL

(5 rows affected)

--

SOLUTION | Using split

--

SELECT Id,ISNULL(Value,Vals) Vals FROM 
(
	SELECT Id,Vals,Value,ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY Id ORDER BY (SELECT NULL)) rnk FROM 
	(
		SELECT *, IIF ( vals  '', CAST('<A>'+ REPLACE(Vals,'-','</A><A>')+ '</A>' AS XML) , '') po
		FROM ExtractData
	)rt
	OUTER APPLY ( SELECT t.value('.', 'VARCHAR(10)') Value FROM po.nodes('/A') AS x(t) ) o
)x WHERE rnk = 2 OR Value IS NULL

--

OUTPUT

--

Id          Vals
----------- ----------
1           25
4           22
5           98
2           
3           NULL

(5 rows affected)

--

Enjoy 🙂

Please add comment(s) if you have one or multiple solutions in mind. Thank You.

Pawan Khowal

Pawan is a SQL Server Developer. If you need any help in writing code/puzzle or training please email at – pawankkmr”AT”gmail.com. Meanwhile please go throgh the top pages from his blog.

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