SQL method to replace repeating blanks with single blanks - sql

Question

Is there a more elegant way of doing this. I want to replace repeating blanks with single blanks....
declare #i int
set #i=0
while #i <= 20
begin
update myTable
set myTextColumn = replace(myTextColumn, ' ', ' ')
set #i=#i+1
end
(its sql server 2000 - but I would prefer generic SQL)

Answer 1

This works:
UPDATE myTable
SET myTextColumn =
REPLACE(
REPLACE(
REPLACE(myTextColumn
,' ',' '+CHAR(1)) -- CHAR(1) is unlikely to appear
,CHAR(1)+' ','')
,CHAR(1),'')
WHERE myTextColumn LIKE '% %'
Entirely set-based; no loops.
So we replace any two spaces with an unusual character and a space. If we call the unusual character X, 5 spaces become: ' X X ' and 6 spaces become ' X X X'. Then we replace 'X ' with the empty string. So 5 spaces become ' ' and 6 spaces become ' X'. Then, in case there was an even number of spaces, we remove any remaining 'X's, leaving a single space.

Answer 2

Here is a simple set based way that will collapse multiple spaces into a single space by applying three replaces.
DECLARE #myTable TABLE (myTextColumn VARCHAR(50))
INSERT INTO #myTable VALUES ('0Space')
INSERT INTO #myTable VALUES (' 1 Spaces 1 Spaces. ')
INSERT INTO #myTable VALUES (' 2 Spaces 2 Spaces. ')
INSERT INTO #myTable VALUES (' 3 Spaces 3 Spaces. ')
INSERT INTO #myTable VALUES (' 4 Spaces 4 Spaces. ')
INSERT INTO #myTable VALUES (' 5 Spaces 5 Spaces. ')
INSERT INTO #myTable VALUES (' 6 Spaces 6 Spaces. ')
select replace(
replace(
replace(
LTrim(RTrim(myTextColumn)), ---Trim the field
' ',' |'), ---Mark double spaces
'| ',''), ---Delete double spaces offset by 1
'|','') ---Tidy up
AS SingleSpaceTextColumn
from #myTable
Your Update statement can now be set based:
update #myTable
set myTextColumn = replace(
replace(
replace(
LTrim(RTrim(myTextColumn)),
' ',' |'),
'| ',''),
'|','')
Use an appropriate Where clause to limit the Update to only the rows that have you need to update or maybe have double spaces.
Example:
where 1<=Patindex('% %', myTextColumn)
I have found an external write up on this method: REPLACE Multiple Spaces with One

Answer 3

select
string = replace(
replace(
replace(' select single spaces',' ','<>')
,'><','')
,'<>',' ')
Replace duplicate spaces with a single space in T-SQL

Answer 4

SELECT 'starting...' --sets ##rowcount
WHILE ##rowcount <> 0
update myTable
set myTextColumn = replace(myTextColumn, ' ', ' ')
where myTextColumn like '% %'

Answer 5

Not very SET Based but a simple WHILE would do the trick.
CREATE TABLE #myTable (myTextColumn VARCHAR(32))
INSERT INTO #myTable VALUES ('NoSpace')
INSERT INTO #myTable VALUES ('One Space')
INSERT INTO #myTable VALUES ('Two Spaces')
INSERT INTO #myTable VALUES ('Multiple Spaces .')
WHILE EXISTS (SELECT * FROM #myTable WHERE myTextColumn LIKE '% %')
UPDATE #myTable
SET myTextColumn = REPLACE(myTextColumn, ' ', ' ')
WHERE myTextColumn LIKE '% %'
SELECT * FROM #myTable
DROP TABLE #myTable

Answer 6

Step through the characters one by one, and maintain a record of the previous character. If the current character is a space, and the last character is a space, stuff it.
CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[fnRemoveExtraSpaces] (#Number AS varchar(1000))
Returns Varchar(1000)
As
Begin
Declare #n int -- Length of counter
Declare #old char(1)
Set #n = 1
--Begin Loop of field value
While #n <=Len (#Number)
BEGIN
If Substring(#Number, #n, 1) = ' ' AND #old = ' '
BEGIN
Select #Number = Stuff( #Number , #n , 1 , '' )
END
Else
BEGIN
SET #old = Substring(#Number, #n, 1)
Set #n = #n + 1
END
END
Return #number
END
GO
select [dbo].[fnRemoveExtraSpaces]('xxx xxx xxx xxx')

Answer 7

Here is a Simplest solution :)
update myTable
set myTextColumn = replace(replace(replace(LTrim(RTrim(myTextColumn )),' ','<>'),'><',''),'<>',' ')

Answer 8

create table blank(
field_blank char(100))
insert into blank values('yyy yyyy')
insert into blank values('xxxx xxxx')
insert into blank values ('xxx xxx')
insert into blank values ('zzzzzz zzzzz')
update blank
set field_blank = substring(field_blank,1,charindex(' ',field_blank)-1) + ' ' + ltrim(substring(field_blank,charindex(' ',field_blank) + 1,len(field_blank)))
where CHARINDEX (' ' , rtrim(field_blank)) > 1
select * from blank

Answer 9

For me the above examples almost did a trick but I needed something that was more stable and independent of the table or column or a set number of iterations. So this is my modification from most of the above queries.
CREATE FUNCTION udfReplaceAll
(
#OriginalText NVARCHAR(MAX),
#OldText NVARCHAR(MAX),
#NewText NVARCHAR(MAX)
)
RETURNS NVARCHAR(MAX)
AS
BEGIN
WHILE (#OriginalText LIKE '%' + #OldText + '%')
BEGIN
SET #OriginalText = REPLACE(#OriginalText,#OldText,#NewText)
END
RETURN #OriginalText
END
GO

Answer 10

Lets say, your Data like this
Table name : userdata Field: id, comment, status,
id, "I love -- -- - -spaces -- - my INDIA" , "Active" <br>
id, "I love -- -- - -spaces -- - my INDIA" , "Active" <br>
id, "I love -- -- - -spaces -- - my INDIA" , "Active" <br>
id, "I love -- -- - -spaces -- - my INDIA" , "Active" <br>
So just do like this
update userdata set comment=REPLACE(REPLACE(comment," ","-SPACEHERE-"),"-SPACEHERE"," ");
I didn't tested , but i think this will work.

Answer 11

Try this:
UPDATE Ships
SET name = REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(name, ' ', ' ' + CHAR(1)), CHAR(1) + ' ', ''), CHAR(1), '')
WHERE name LIKE '% %'

Answer 12

REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(myTextColumn,' ',' %'),'% ',''),'%','')
Statement above worked terrifically for replacing multiple spaces with a single space. Optionally add LTRIM and RTRIM to remove spaces at the beginning.
Got it from here: http://burnignorance.com/database-tips-and-tricks/remove-multiple-spaces-from-a-string-using-sql-server/

Answer 13

WHILE
(SELECT count(myIDcolumn)
from myTable where myTextColumn like '% %') > 0
BEGIN
UPDATE myTable
SET myTextColumn = REPLACE(myTextColumn ,' ',' ')
END

Answer 14

Try it:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION REM_SPACES (TEXTO VARCHAR(2000))
RETURNS VARCHAR(2000)
LANGUAGE SQL
READS SQL DATA
BEGIN
SET TEXTO = UPPER(LTRIM(RTRIM(TEXTO)));
WHILE LOCATE(' ',TEXTO,1) >= 1 DO
SET TEXTO = REPLACE(TEXTO,' ',' ');
END WHILE;
RETURN TEXTO;
END

Answer 15

Update myTable set myTextColumn = replace(myTextColumn, ' ', ' ');
The above query will remove all the double blank spaces with single blank space
But this would work only once.