Introduction to the PostgreSQL RIGHT() function

TheRIGHT() function allows you to retrieve the last n characters of a string.

Here’s the basic syntax of theRIGHT() function:

RIGHT(string, n)

The PostgreSQLRIGHT() function requires two arguments:

• string is a string from which a number of the rightmost characters are returned.
• n is a positive integer that specifies the number of the rightmost characters in the string that should be returned.

TheRIGHT() function returns the lastn characters in a string. Ifn is negative, theRIGHT() function returns all characters in the string but first|n| (absolute) characters.

If you want to return then first characters of a string, you can use theLEFT() function.

PostgreSQL RIGHT() function examples

Let’s take some examples of using the PostgreSQLRIGHT() function.

1) Basic PostgreSQL RIGHT() function example

The following statement uses theRIGHT() function to get the last character in the string'XYZ':

SELECT RIGHT('XYZ',1);

Here is the result:

right------- Z(1 row)

To get the last two characters, you pass the value2 as the second argument as follows:

SELECT RIGHT('XYZ', 2);

Output:

right------- YZ(1 row)

The following statement illustrates how to use a negative integer as the second argument:

SELECT RIGHT('XYZ', - 1);

In this example, theRIGHT() function returns all characters except for the first character.

right------- YZ(1 row)

2) Using the RIGHT() function with table data example

See the followingcustomer table in thesample database:

The following statement uses theRIGHT() function inWHERE clause to get all customers whose last names end with 'son':

SELECT  last_nameFROM  customerWHERE  RIGHT(last_name, 3) ='son';

Output:

last_name------------- Johnson Wilson Anderson Jackson Thompson...

Summary

• Use the PostgreSQLRIGHT() function to get the n rightmost characters in a string.

Last updated onJanuary 29, 2024

On this page

• Introduction to the PostgreSQL RIGHT() function
• PostgreSQL RIGHT() function examples
• Summary