mysql char displaying just the first character - mysql

Question

I have this value in my MYSQL table "&#84&#101&#115&#116 " (=="Test")
this text is basically in decimal format.
more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T#Computing_codes
i am trying to run a select query as its a regular text.
these are the tests i'm running:
1.
query:
select TRIM(Leading ',' FROM replace(trim(name),"&#",",")) from table where id = 1;
output:
84,101,115,116
2.
query:
select char(84,101,115,116);
output: Test
3.
query:
select char(TRIM(Leading ',' FROM replace(trim(name),"&#",","))) from table where id = 1;
output: T
How can i get the whole word instead of just the first character?
Thanks,
Nir.

Answer 1

you are not getting expected result because
TRIM(Leading ',' FROM replace(trim(name),"&#",","))
returns string instead of array
'84,101,115,116'
Then char() only interprets first readable set of numbers.
If you want to continue, take a look at similar question made with procedures.
You should create a procedure that would return string decimals as a table result set and then use it as input to your CHAR(). This way you would move complicated logic to procedure and then use it like this (untested):
select
GROUP_CONCAT(
SELECT
char(*)
FROM
(
CALL database.getDecimalText()
)
) SEPARATOR '' )
from
table
where
id = 1;

Answer 2

As stated by Mulcek, your passing what looks like comma separated arguments to the CHAR function, but this is in fact a single string that contains commas. MySQL interprets it as such and returns the decoded first number it recognises.
A one step solution would be to use a prepared statement to build the whole query as a string and then execute that as follows:
SET #VTestVar = '&#84&#101&#115&#116';
SET #VExec = CONCAT('SELECT CHAR(', (SELECT TRIM(Leading ',' FROM REPLACE(TRIM(#VTestVar),"&#",","))), ') value;');
PREPARE stmt FROM #VExec;
EXECUTE stmt;
DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt;
Here it is adjusted for your use case:
SET #VTestVar = '&#84&#101&#115&#116';
SET #VExec = CONCAT('SELECT CHAR(', (SELECT TRIM(Leading ',' FROM REPLACE(TRIM(select TRIM(Leading ',' FROM replace(trim(name),"&#",",")) from table where id = 1),"&#",","))), ') value;');
PREPARE stmt FROM #VExec;
EXECUTE stmt;
DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt;
Regards,
James