Locate sql command to search for the presence of a string in a field

We can use the LOCATE string command in our SQL to get the first occurrence ( position )of a string present inside another string. Let us try this command.

SELECT LOCATE('xy','afghytyxyrt'); # Output 8

This query will return 8 as the searched string is located at the 8th position within the string.

SELECT LOCATE('z','abcdefgh')

Returns 0 if not found.

Position to start searching (Optional)

SELECT LOCATE('xy','axyghtxyrt',4)

The output is 7 ( not 2 ) as the we have used 4 as position to start the search.

By changing the value of 4 to 1 we will get 2 as output.

LOCATE on Name column of Student table

Now let us apply this LOCATE command to search for the presence of the name john in the name field (column ) of our student table.

SELECT * FROM `student` WHERE locate( 'john', name )

The output of this query is here.

name	class	mark	sex
John Deo	Four5	75	male
John Mike	Four5	60	male
Alex John	Four5	55	male
My John Rob	Fifth5	78	male
Big John	Four5	55	male
Babby John	Four5	69	male

As you can see we have collected all the records having 'john' in any place in the name column of the student table.

Now let us apply this Locate query to our student table to search for the location of the string 'john'

SELECT locate('john',name) as position,name FROM `student`

The above command will return all the records of with the position of the searched string, if it is not found then 0 is returned. ( Few sample records are displayed here )

position	name
1	John Deo
0	Max Ruin
0	Arnold
0	Krish Star
1	John Mike
4	My John Rob

Getting position of @ in an email address

SELECT LOCATE(  '@',  'myname@example.com' )

Output is 7

locate and substring

By using the position ( number ) we can take out the rest part of the string by using substring function.

locate and substring_index

By using a delimiter we can take out part of the string from the main string by using substring_index function.

If you have a list of email address in a table then you can find out the position of @ in the address and separate domain and user id part from the address.
FIND_IN_SET: Find a search string within a set of strings
SQL Replace Like command to match string in a field SQL String References
Download sql dump of this student table

Subhendu Mohapatra

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Robin	10-04-2009
I have a table: columns are as follows. min max 0 1300 1301 2000 2001 3900 now user enter something say (700) i want to use a query such that: it only display: min max 0 1300 Please help me

smo	12-04-2009
select * from table where min < 700 and max > 1300 , you can also use Between query

Troy	08-10-2009
In the same vein as your examples above.. suppose that I have a list of names and I want to return all the records where name1 is found a field, then return all records where name2 is found in a field... and so on. I have a list of 375 names and I'm search a single field for the presence of their name.

Hossein	30-01-2010
I have a table with 2 columns as follows: ------------ id code 1 a 2 b 2 c 1 b 3 c 4 a 1 c 2 a ------------ I want to select id's that has all codes a AND b AND c. Please help for sql command. thanks

sql master	10-02-2010
ooopps, this should be the correct code for the query.. select * from tablename where locate('a', code, 1) <> 0 or locate('b', code, 1) <> 0 or locate('c', code, 1) <> 0

manoj kumar bardhan	07-04-2010
min max 0 1300 query-select * from table1 where min=0 and max=1300

dont know sql	13-12-2012
how can i Find a particular text from all tables in DB.

Prashant Negi	22-06-2013
how can i replace MDH DHANIA POWDER with ABC DHANIA POWDER

rohit	05-07-2014
SELECT * FROM `student` WHERE locate( 'john', name ) -in the above sql query ,only john is given right, Suppose a column is as follows aaa dd oii qq bb ask jiasj sjd sxd nj kkk and i want to select record having both bb and ask as substring in the column'. what should i do,how is the query for that

Nishanth	03-11-2014
Can you please help me with a query for the below condition: To find the position at which the occurance of the string "on" appears the second time in the word "consultation"

SQL LOCATE command to search strings and retrun position