How to get initials from fullname in MySQL? - mysql

Question

I have a simple table:
id | fullname
---------------------------
1 | Ivanov Ivan Ivanovich
---------------------------
2 | Petrov Petr Petrovich
---------------------------
3 | Alym kyzy Ainura
I need transform them into something like this:
id | name_initials
--------------------
1 | Ivanov I. I.
--------------------
2 | Petrov P. P.
--------------------
3 | Alym k. A.
I can easily make it via PHP, but MySQL is about data manipulation. I think, it might (and MUST) be done with DBMS only.
How can it be done via pure SQL?
Should I write stored function for this, or is there any shorter way?
Regards.

Answer 1

You could use a query like this:
SELECT
fullname,
CONCAT_WS(' ',
SUBSTRING_INDEX(fullname, ' ', 1),
CASE WHEN LENGTH(fullname)-LENGTH(REPLACE(fullname,' ',''))>2 THEN
CONCAT(LEFT(SUBSTRING_INDEX(fullname, ' ', -3), 1), '.')
END,
CASE WHEN LENGTH(fullname)-LENGTH(REPLACE(fullname,' ',''))>1 THEN
CONCAT(LEFT(SUBSTRING_INDEX(fullname, ' ', -2), 1), '.')
END,
CASE WHEN LENGTH(fullname)-LENGTH(REPLACE(fullname,' ',''))>0 THEN
CONCAT(LEFT(SUBSTRING_INDEX(fullname, ' ', -1), 1), '.')
END) shortname
FROM
Names
Please see fiddle here. This query will support at maximum four names.

Answer 2

Solved with stored function:
CREATE FUNCTION `getNameInitials`(`fullname` VARCHAR(70))
RETURNS VARCHAR(70)
DETERMINISTIC
BEGIN
DECLARE `result` VARCHAR(70) DEFAULT '';
DECLARE `position` TINYINT;
DECLARE `separator` VARCHAR(1) DEFAULT ' ';
DECLARE `append` VARCHAR(1) DEFAULT '.';
DECLARE `buffer` VARCHAR(10);
SET `fullname` = CONCAT(TRIM(`fullname`), `separator`);
SET `position` = LOCATE(`separator`, `fullname`);
IF NOT `position`
THEN RETURN TRIM(`fullname`);
END IF;
SET `result` = LEFT(`fullname`, `position` - 1);
cycle: LOOP
SET `fullname` = SUBSTR(`fullname`, `position` + 1);
SET `position` = LOCATE(`separator`, `fullname`);
IF NOT `position` OR NOT LENGTH(`fullname`)
THEN LEAVE cycle;
END IF;
SET `buffer` = CONCAT(LEFT(`fullname`, 1), `append`);
SET `result` = CONCAT_WS(`separator`, `result`, `buffer`);
END LOOP cycle;
RETURN `result`;
END
Checked with:
SELECT
getNameInitials(`fullname`) as `name`
FROM
(
SELECT
'Ivanov Ivan Ivanovich' as `fullname`
UNION ALL
SELECT 'Alym kyzy Ainura'
) `sub`;
And got following result:
'Ivanov I. I.'
'Alym k. A.'

Answer 3

CREATE DEFINER=`root`#`localhost` FUNCTION `getNameInitials`(`fullname` VARCHAR(500), `separator` VARCHAR(1)) RETURNS varchar(70) CHARSET latin1
DETERMINISTIC
BEGIN
DECLARE `result` VARCHAR(500) DEFAULT '';
DECLARE `position` TINYINT;
SET `fullname` = TRIM(`fullname`);
SET `position` = LOCATE(`separator`, `fullname`);
IF NOT `position`
THEN RETURN LEFT(`fullname`,1);
END IF;
SET `fullname` = CONCAT(`fullname`,`separator`);
SET `result` = LEFT(`fullname`, 1);
cycle: LOOP
SET `fullname` = SUBSTR(`fullname`, `position` + 1);
SET `position` = LOCATE(`separator`, `fullname`);
IF NOT `position` OR NOT LENGTH(`fullname`)
THEN LEAVE cycle;
END IF;
SET `result` = CONCAT(`result`,LEFT(`fullname`, 1));
-- SET `result` = CONCAT_WS(`separator`, `result`, `buffer`);
END LOOP cycle;
RETURN upper(`result`);
END
1.Execute this function in mysql. 2.this will create a function. Now you can use this function anywhere you want.
SELECT `getNameInitials`('Kaleem Ul Hassan', ' ') AS `NameInitials`;
The above getNameInitails first parameter is string you want to filter and second is the spectator character on which you want to separate you string. 4. In above example 'Kaleem Ul Hassan' is name and i want to get initials and my separator is space ' '.