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MySQL CHAR() Function



The MySQL CHAR() function interprets each passed argument as an integer and returns a string consisting of the characters given by the code values of those integers. It ignores the NULL value.

For arguments larger than 255 are converted into multiple result bytes. For example, CHAR(256) is equivalent to CHAR(1,0), and CHAR(256*256) is equivalent to CHAR(1,0,0).

By default, This function returns a binary string. To produce a string in a given character set, the optional USING clause can be used. See the example below. If USING is given and the result string is illegal for the given character set, a warning is issued. Also, if strict SQL mode is enabled, the result from CHAR() becomes NULL.

Syntax

CHAR(N,... [USING charset_name])

Parameters

N,... Required. Specify integers whose character values (according to the ASCII table) are to be retrieved.
USING charset_name Optional. Used to produce a string in a given character set.

Return Value

Returns a string consisting of the characters given by the code values of those integers.

Example 1:

The example below shows the usage of CHAR() function.

mysql> SELECT CHAR(72,69,76,76,79);
Result: 'HELLO'

mysql> SELECT CHAR(72,69,76,NULL,76,79);
Result: 'HELLO'

mysql> SELECT CHAR('72',69,'76',76,79);
Result: 'HELLO'

mysql> SELECT CHAR('72.8',69,'76.3',76,79);
Result: 'HELLO'

mysql> SELECT CHAR(65,66,67);
Result: 'ABC'

mysql> SELECT CHAR(65,66,67 USING utf8);
Result: 'ABC'

mysql> SELECT CHARSET(CHAR(65)), CHARSET(CHAR(65 USING utf8));
Result: 'binary', 'utf8'

Example 2:

Consider a database table called Sample with the following records:

Datax1x2x3
Data167117116
Data280117116
Data384111111
Data466111119
Data5677968
Data669110100

The statement given below can be used to get the string containing characters given by the code values specified by columns x1, x2 and x3.

SELECT *, CHAR(x1, x2, x3) AS CHAR_String FROM Sample;

The query will produce the following result:

Datax1x2x3CHAR_String
Data167117116Cut
Data280117116Put
Data384111111Too
Data466111119Bow
Data5677968COD
Data669110100End

❮ MySQL Functions