Re: Select data prior to a character in a row?

From: Michael Austin <maustin_at_firstdbasource.com>
Date: Sun, 06 Jan 2008 00:04:52 GMT
Message-ID: <EWUfj.82430$Um6.75587@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net>


Ed Prochak wrote:

> On Jan 3, 4:20 pm, DP <dxpe..._at_gmail.com> wrote:

>> On Jan 3, 1:04 pm, Walt <walt_ask..._at_SHOESyahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> DP wrote:
>>>> Our CMDB database (vendor supplied) stores information in a
>>>> singlevarchar2 field.
>>>> The DATA:
>>>> Name
>>>> -----------------------------------------------------------
>>>> MPORTWEB03(MPORTWEB03) : msdb
>>>> MPORTWEB03(MPORTWEB03) : pubs
>>>> MPORTWEB03(MPORTWEB03) : tempdb
>>>> pr04(droid) : DAFRANZ
>>>> pr04(droid) : DAMOLSO
>>>> pr04(droid) : DAQUINT
>>>> pr04(droid) : DBSNMP
>>>> What I can't figure out is how to select data up to or before the
>>>> first open paran.
>>>> I have tried RTIRM with no luck.
>>> Immediate solution: use the built in SUBSTR and INSTR functions to
>>> extract the appropriate substrings. i.e. something like
>>> select substr(name,0,instr(name,'(')-1) from table;
>>> Better solution: create view(s) and or procs using the functions above
>>> to allow you to query the table like a human being
>>> Best solution: ditch this abortion of a data design and replace it with
>>> something designed by someone with a clue.
>>> Good luck!
>>> //Walt- Hide quoted text -
>>> - Show quoted text -
>> Thanks!!!
>>
>> I agree with you 100%. I would love to ditch this CMDB vendor, but
>> that is not my call.. I just have to make it work! :-)
>>
>> Dennis
> 
> Why do you have to "make it work"??   That should be the vendor's job!
> (exactly what product/vendor is this anyway?
>  They deserve to be tarred and feathered!)
> 
>   Ed

:) most of them do deserver to be tarred and feathered.

It looks like they hire kids with no experience what-so-ever and then wonder why in the world it doesn't work/scale/.... Just because you "can do it that way" doesn't mean that you should.... Received on Sat Jan 05 2008 - 18:04:52 CST

Original text of this message