Description
SQLRegEx adds regular expression capabilities to Microsoft SQL Server 2000. Regular expressions are extremely powerful compact expressions which can be used for complex matches, searches and replaces on character data using a technique called pattern-matching.
You can see a very simplistic example of pattern-matching in SQL Server's LIKE operator, or the PATINDEX function. These features allow you to perform matches of character data using % and _ as wildcard tokens.
Regular expressions are many, many times more powerful than what you get out of the box with SQL Server. With regular expressions, a person skilled in Transact-SQL can perform a vast number of data manipulation tasks which previously would have required complicated code using T-SQL string functions, or a formal programming language such as C/C++, Visual Basic, or Delphi, or with script languages such as VBScript or JavaScript.
* Accomplish tasks with SQL Server scripts which normally would require a formal programming language such as C/C++, Visual Basic, or Delphi. * Streamline tasks and jobs by doing more in SQL scripts.
* Avoid the need for data processing through additional scripting languages such as VBScript or JavaScript. * Improve task automation with more scripts, less programming code.
* Integrate advanced data handling directly in queries, stored procedures, and triggers. * Avoid complex, buggy, and difficult-to-test manipulations with SQL Server's simplistic built-in string functions.
* Facilitate data imports, data conversion, and data migration without programming code. * Delegate more tasks to team members with SQL skills.
You can see a very simplistic example of pattern-matching in SQL Server's LIKE operator, or the PATINDEX function. These features allow you to perform matches of character data using % and _ as wildcard tokens.
Regular expressions are many, many times more powerful than what you get out of the box with SQL Server. With regular expressions, a person skilled in Transact-SQL can perform a vast number of data manipulation tasks which previously would have required complicated code using T-SQL string functions, or a formal programming language such as C/C++, Visual Basic, or Delphi, or with script languages such as VBScript or JavaScript.
* Accomplish tasks with SQL Server scripts which normally would require a formal programming language such as C/C++, Visual Basic, or Delphi. * Streamline tasks and jobs by doing more in SQL scripts.
* Avoid the need for data processing through additional scripting languages such as VBScript or JavaScript. * Improve task automation with more scripts, less programming code.
* Integrate advanced data handling directly in queries, stored procedures, and triggers. * Avoid complex, buggy, and difficult-to-test manipulations with SQL Server's simplistic built-in string functions.
* Facilitate data imports, data conversion, and data migration without programming code. * Delegate more tasks to team members with SQL skills.