INSTR Function in SQL

The INSTR function returns the position of the first occurrence of a substring within a string. If the substring is not found, it returns 0.

Syntax:

INSTR(string, substring)

• string: The string to search within.

• substring: The substring to find.

Example:

SELECT INSTR('Hello World', 'World') AS position;

Result:

Explanation: The substring 'World' starts at the 7th character in 'Hello World'.

Notes:

• The position count usually starts at 1 (not 0).

• If substring is not found, returns 0.

• Supported in MySQL, Oracle, and some other databases (syntax may vary slightly).

Variant in Some Databases:

• In SQL Server, use CHARINDEX(substring, string) instead.

• In Oracle, INSTR(string, substring [, start_position [, occurrence]]) supports additional options.

If you want examples for a specific database or advanced usage, just ask!