Lesson 8. Using Data Manipulation Functions

In this lesson, you’ll learn what functions are, what types of functions DBMSs support, and how to use these functions. You’ll also learn why SQL function use can be very problematic.

Understanding Functions

Like almost any other computer language, SQL supports the use of functions to manipulate data. Functions are operations that are usually performed on data, usually to facilitate conversion and manipulation, and they are an important part of your SQL toolbox.

An example of a function is RTRIM(), which we used in the last lesson to trim spaces from the end of a string.

The Problem with Functions

Before you work through this lesson and try the examples, you should be aware that, unfortunately, using ...

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