How the RPAD() function works in Mariadb?

The RPAD() function in MariaDB is a string function that pads the right side of a string with a specified number of a specified character.

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The RPAD() function in MariaDB is a string function that pads the right side of a string with a specified number of a specified character. It is a commonly used function in MariaDB for various data formatting and manipulation tasks. This article will explain the syntax of the RPAD() function, demonstrate its usage with various examples, and explore related functions that offer similar or complementary functionality.

Syntax

The basic syntax of the RPAD() function is as follows:

RPAD(str, len [, padstr])

Where:

  • str is the string to be padded. It can be a string literal, a column name, or an expression.
  • len is the number of characters to pad the string to. If str is longer than len, the return value is shortened to len characters.
  • padstr is an optional argument that specifies the character to use for the padding. If padstr is omitted, the default padding character is a space.

Examples

Padding a string to a fixed length

The following example pads the string "Fire" to a length of 10 characters using the default padding character:

SELECT RPAD('Fire', 10);

The output of the above query is:

Fire

Padding a string with a specific character

The following example pads the string "Fire" to a length of 15 characters using the . character as the padding character:

SELECT RPAD('Fire', 15, '.');

The output of the above query is:

Fire............

Padding a string with a small length

The following example pads the string "Fire" to a length of 5 characters using a small length. This effectively truncates the string to 5 characters:

SELECT RPAD('Fire', 1);

The output of the above query is:

F

The following functions are related to the RPAD() function:

  • LPAD(): This function pads the left side of a string with a specified number of a specified character.
  • LTRIM(): This function removes all leading spaces from a string.
  • RTRIM(): This function removes all trailing spaces from a string.

Conclusion

The RPAD() function is a versatile and useful function for padding strings in MariaDB. It can be used for a variety of tasks, such as formatting data for display, aligning columns in reports, and creating custom string representations. By understanding the syntax and usage of the RPAD() function, you can effectively manipulate string data in your MariaDB database.