How to parse with flexibility in the query

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How to parse with flexibility in the query

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AdamWest
Constraint Violating Yak Guru

360 Posts

Posted - 2011-11-10 : 14:34:44

I have a funny case where a piece of data needed, is actually embedded in a column of data looking something like this:
note that is a shop with strong legacy mess still in place.

adlu201008270919_3.zip the date is what i need and is embedded.
ihave code to do this here:
AND CAST(SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,5,4) + '-' + SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,9,2) + '-' + SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,11,2) as datetime)

but now i find out that where you have here 'adlu' that is 4 pos. it can be 3 or 2 or 1.
so i have to code for that i have come up with this: but its not compiling:
AND CASE WHEN WHEN CAST(SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,5,4) + '-' + SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,9,2) + '-' + SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,11,2) as datetime)
ELSE WHEN OEN.LENGTH(S.FACILITY_KEY) = 3 THEN CAST(SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,4,4) + '-' + SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,8,2) + '-' + SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,10,2) as datetime)
ELSE WHEN OEN.LENGTH(S.FACILITY_KEY) = 2 THEN CAST(SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,3,4) + '-' + SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,7,2) + '-' + SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,9,2) as datetime)
ELSE CAST(SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,2,4) + '-' + SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,6,2) + '-' + SUBSTRING(M.MDS_FILE,8,2) as datetime) END

russell
Pyro-ma-ni-yak

5072 Posts

Posted - 2011-11-10 : 14:39:09

In that case, the code I posted in your other thread on this will work.

Also, how 'bout formatting your code. You've been around here long enough now for that.

AdamWest
Constraint Violating Yak Guru

360 Posts

Posted - 2011-11-10 : 15:40:35

thank you i will format going forward..

quote:
Originally posted by russell

In that case, the code I posted in your other thread on this will work.

Also, how 'bout formatting your code. You've been around here long enough now for that.

X002548
Not Just a Number

15586 Posts

Posted - 2011-11-10 : 16:15:53

What does this mean???

quote:

but now i find out that where you have here 'adlu' that is 4 pos. it can be 3 or 2 or 1.

Brett

8-)

Hint: Want your questions answered fast? Follow the direction in this link
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/brettk/archive/2005/05/25/5276.aspx

Want to help yourself?

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms130214.aspx

http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/brettk/

http://brettkaiser.blogspot.com/

russell
Pyro-ma-ni-yak

5072 Posts

Posted - 2011-11-10 : 16:28:47

Pretty sure he means the length of the prefix.

X002548
Not Just a Number

15586 Posts

Posted - 2011-11-10 : 17:52:01

OK, but what does THAT mean??

It can be "adlu"

Or it can be "salfdhyuweopi;rhg;lkehgou;ewngtwe"

????

And what about the _3??

What can that be??

is at least the .zip constant??

2010 08 27 09 19

So I'm guessing the date is

ccyymmddhhmm

??

Little details actually kind of help us

And more sample data would be good here, in DML form

And the DDL of the table

so how do we find a pattern in a string V

I know lots of languages that do that well

So please state what you actually want to get out as well. That wouls also be a big help

Brett

8-)

Hint: Want your questions answered fast? Follow the direction in this link
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/brettk/archive/2005/05/25/5276.aspx

Want to help yourself?

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms130214.aspx

http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/brettk/

http://brettkaiser.blogspot.com/

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