SQL Server search using like while ignoring blank spaces - sql

Question

I have a phone column in the database, and the records contain unwanted spaces on the right. I tried to use trim and replace, but it didn't return the correct results.
If I use
phone like '%2581254%'
it returns
customerid
-----------
33470
33472
33473
33474
but I need use percent sign or wild card in the beginning only, I want to match the left side only.
So if I use it like this
phone like '%2581254'
I get nothing, because of the spaces on the right!
So I tried to use trim and replace, and I get one result only
LTRIM(RTRIM(phone)) LIKE '%2581254'
returns
customerid
-----------
33474
Note that these four ids have same phone number!
Table data
customerid phone
-------------------------------------
33470 96506217601532388254
33472 96506217601532388254
33473 96506217601532388254
33474 96506217601532388254
33475 966508307940
I added many number for test propose
The php function takes last 7 digits and compare them.
For example
01532388254 will be 2581254
and I want to search for all users that has this 7 digits in their phone number
2581254
I can't figure out where's the problem!
It should return 4 ids instead of 1 id

Answer 1

Given the sample data, I suspect you have control characters in your data. For example char(13), char(10)
To confirm this, just run the following
Select customerid,phone
From YourTable
Where CharIndex(CHAR(0),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(1),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(2),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(3),[phone])
+CharIndex(CHAR(4),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(5),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(6),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(7),[phone])
+CharIndex(CHAR(8),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(9),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(10),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(11),[phone])
+CharIndex(CHAR(12),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(13),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(14),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(15),[phone])
+CharIndex(CHAR(16),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(17),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(18),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(19),[phone])
+CharIndex(CHAR(20),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(21),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(22),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(23),[phone])
+CharIndex(CHAR(24),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(25),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(26),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(27),[phone])
+CharIndex(CHAR(28),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(29),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(30),[phone])+CharIndex(CHAR(31),[phone])
+CharIndex(CHAR(127),[phone]) >0
If the Test Results are Positive
The following UDF can be used to strip the control characters from your data via an update
Update YourTable Set Phone=[dbo].[udf-Str-Strip-Control](Phone)
The UDF if Interested
CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[udf-Str-Strip-Control](#S varchar(max))
Returns varchar(max)
Begin
;with cte1(N) As (Select 1 From (Values(1),(1),(1),(1),(1),(1),(1),(1),(1),(1)) N(N)),
cte2(C) As (Select Top (32) Char(Row_Number() over (Order By (Select NULL))-1) From cte1 a,cte1 b)
Select #S = Replace(#S,C,' ')
From cte2
Return LTrim(RTrim(Replace(Replace(Replace(#S,' ','><'),'<>',''),'><',' ')))
End
--Select [dbo].[udf-Str-Strip-Control]('Michael '+char(13)+char(10)+'LastName') --Returns: Michael LastName
As promised (and nudged by Bill), the following is a little commentary on the UDF.
We pass a string that we want stripped of Control Characters
We create an ad-hoc tally table of ascii characters 0 - 31
We then run a global search-and-replace for each character in the
tally-table. Each character found will be replaced with a space
The final string is stripped of repeating spaces (a little trick
Gordon demonstrated several weeks ago - don't have the original
link)