Limit the characters returned in a TEXT column

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Limit the characters returned in a TEXT column

Author

Topic

shawnmolloy
Yak Posting Veteran

93 Posts

Posted - 2007-07-30 : 18:11:32

Hello,

I have a select statement that looks like this:

 SELECT TOP 10 [Id], [Abstract] FROM NewsArticles

Abstract is a TEXT Column. I'd like to limit it to 50 characters... how would I do that.

Thanks,

-- shawn

SwePeso
Patron Saint of Lost Yaks

30421 Posts

Posted - 2007-07-30 : 18:14:22

LEFT or SUBSTRING will do.

E 12°55'05.25"
N 56°04'39.16"

shawnmolloy
Yak Posting Veteran

93 Posts

Posted - 2007-07-30 : 18:21:13

I get this error:

Msg 8116, Level 16, State 1, Procedure GetNewsItemAbstracts, Line 38
Argument data type text is invalid for argument 1 of left function.

Here is the code:
SELECT TOP 10 ni.[Id], LEFT(ni.[Abstract], 50)

shawnmolloy
Yak Posting Veteran

93 Posts

Posted - 2007-07-30 : 18:26:17

This worked:

SELECT TOP 10 ni.[Id], LEFT(CAST(ni.[Abstract] AS varchar(50)), 50)

Thanks!

SwePeso
Patron Saint of Lost Yaks

30421 Posts

Posted - 2007-07-30 : 18:57:27

SELECT TOP 10 ni.[ID], SUBSTRING(ni.[Abstract], 1, 50)

Try and see which is fastest.

E 12°55'05.25"
N 56°04'39.16"

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