Concat SQL

Galaxy Glossary

How do you combine strings in SQL?

The CONCAT function in SQL is used to combine two or more strings into a single string. It's a fundamental string manipulation tool for data processing and presentation. This function is available in various SQL dialects with slight variations in syntax.
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Description

The CONCAT function is a powerful tool for string manipulation in SQL. It allows you to combine multiple strings into a single, larger string. This is crucial for tasks like creating composite keys, generating labels, or formatting data for display. For instance, you might want to combine a customer's first and last name into a single "Full Name" field. The CONCAT function makes this straightforward. Different SQL implementations might use slightly different syntax, but the core concept remains the same. Understanding CONCAT is essential for building robust and flexible SQL queries. It's a fundamental building block for more complex string operations, and its use is widespread in data manipulation tasks.

Why Concat SQL is important

The CONCAT function is crucial for data manipulation and presentation. It allows you to create meaningful composite fields, format data for reporting, and build dynamic queries. This function is essential for transforming raw data into usable information.

Example Usage


-- Example using CONCAT in MySQL
SELECT CONCAT('Hello', ' ', 'World!');

-- Example combining multiple columns
SELECT
    CONCAT(first_name, ' ', last_name) AS full_name
FROM
    customers;

-- Example with a literal and a column
SELECT
    CONCAT('ID: ', customer_id) AS customer_info
FROM
    customers
LIMIT 5;

Common Mistakes

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