The MID() Function
The MID() function is used to extract characters from a text field.
SQL MID() Syntax
SELECT MID(column_name,start[,length]) AS some_name FROM table_name;
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| column_name | Required. The field to extract characters from |
| start | Required. Specifies the starting position (starts at 1) |
| length | Optional. The number of characters to return. If omitted, the MID() function returns the rest of the text |
Note: The equivalent function for SQL Server is SUBSTRING():
SELECT SUBSTRING(column_name,start,length) AS some_name FROM table_name;
Example
SELECT MID(City,1,4) AS ShortCity
FROM Customers;
FROM Customers;