Discussions
Categories
- 385.5K All Categories
- 5.1K Data
- 2.5K Big Data Appliance
- 2.5K Data Science
- 453.4K Databases
- 223.2K General Database Discussions
- 3.8K Java and JavaScript in the Database
- 47 Multilingual Engine
- 606 MySQL Community Space
- 486 NoSQL Database
- 7.9K Oracle Database Express Edition (XE)
- 3.2K ORDS, SODA & JSON in the Database
- 585 SQLcl
- 4K SQL Developer Data Modeler
- 188K SQL & PL/SQL
- 21.5K SQL Developer
- 46 Data Integration
- 46 GoldenGate
- 298.4K Development
- 4 Application Development
- 20 Developer Projects
- 166 Programming Languages
- 295K Development Tools
- 150 DevOps
- 3.1K QA/Testing
- 646.7K Java
- 37 Java Learning Subscription
- 37.1K Database Connectivity
- 201 Java Community Process
- 108 Java 25
- 22.2K Java APIs
- 138.3K Java Development Tools
- 165.4K Java EE (Java Enterprise Edition)
- 22 Java Essentials
- 176 Java 8 Questions
- 86K Java Programming
- 82 Java Puzzle Ball
- 65.1K New To Java
- 1.7K Training / Learning / Certification
- 13.8K Java HotSpot Virtual Machine
- 94.3K Java SE
- 13.8K Java Security
- 208 Java User Groups
- 25 JavaScript - Nashorn
- Programs
- 667 LiveLabs
- 41 Workshops
- 10.3K Software
- 6.7K Berkeley DB Family
- 3.6K JHeadstart
- 6K Other Languages
- 2.3K Chinese
- 207 Deutsche Oracle Community
- 1.1K Español
- 1.9K Japanese
- 474 Portuguese
Add an optional argument c after a comma in the TRIM(s) function

Hi!
I compared string functions in 5 different RDBMS: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server and SQLite, and also in the ANSI SQL Standard. There are large differences among different RDBMS, and I propose to reduce them a little bit.
Particularly, I propose to add an optional argument c
after a comma in the TRIM(s)
function (the space ' '
by default).
Explanation: We can now call the following functions in Oracle:
LTRIM(s [,c]) RTRIM(s [,c]) TRIM (s)
As you see, we can pass the argument c
after the comma in the LTRIM
and RTRIM
functions, but not in the TRIM
function, which is strange. For the TRIM
function we have to use the SQL ANSI Standard syntax: TRIM(c FROM s)
. On the other hand, in PostgreSQL and SQLite calling TRIM(s, c)
is possible. So this difference between different RDBMS and the difference in Oracle itself between the LTRIM/RTRIM(s [,c])
and TRIM(s)
functions seem to be unjustified. Or maybe somebody knows a justification?
I also proposed this change: https://community.oracle.com/tech/developers/discussion/4477919/proposal-add-the-substring-alias-for-the-substr-function/.
The changes proposed by me for other RDBMS are listed here: https://github.com/iwis/SQL-notes/blob/master/Functions_proposed_changes.md
Comments
-
I always found the implementation of TRIM a bit strange. Bringing it in line with LTRIM and RTRIM is a very good idea.