The SQL MID() function is used to get part of a string. It’s supported by MySQL, but not by MS SQL Server or Oracle. In SQL Server, Oracle databse, we can use SQL SUBSTRING or SQL SUBSTR instead.
SQL MID() Function Syntax
SELECT MID(ColumnName, Start [, Length]) FROM TableName
Note: The string start from 1 not 0, Length is optional, if it’s not provided, the MID() function returns the rest of the string.
SQL MID() Function Example
Table: Employees
| EmployeeId | FirstName | LastName |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Bkdfa | Ydfada |
| 102 | Nbad | Qdfda |
| 103 | Hifdad | Wpay |
| 104 | Opca | Trlfa |
| 105 | Bldfa | Ghkdaies |
Select first name and the first letter of the last name:
SELECT Firstname, MID(Lastname, 1, 1) AS Initial FROM Employees
The result will look like:
| FirstName | Initial |
|---|---|
| Bkdfa | Y |
| Nbad | Q |
| Hifdad | W |
| Opca | T |
| Bldfa | G |