REG:- SQL QUERY

Question

HI FRENDS
MY PROBLEM IS IN BELOW QUERY
select SUBSTR('Sales - Alternate Channels (Sub Department).Area Manager.1',1,7) from dual
HERE I WANT TO TAKE ONLY 'SALES' FROM THE STRING.
BUT SOME TIME INSTEAD OF SALES IT WILL COME 'Branch Operations' LIKE THAT THEN I WANT TAKE THESE STRING ONLY....
IN SHORT I WAN TO TAKE ONLY THAT STRING WHICH IS BEFORE '-'......NOT THAT VALUE WHICH AFTER '-'...
PL HELP.

Answer 1

If u want srting before '-' than use instr to search '-'
e.g.
select substr('Branch Operations - Alternate Channels (Sub Department).Area Manager.1',1
,instr('Branch Operations - Alternate Channels (Sub Department).Area Manager.1','-',1)-1)
from dual
SQL> select substr('Branch Operations - Alternate Channels (Sub Department).Area Manager.1',1
2 ,instr('Branch Operations - Alternate Channels (Sub Department).Area Manager.1','-',1)-1)
3 from dual
4 /
SUBSTR('BRANCHOPERATIONS-ALTER
Branch Operations
SQL> select substr('Sales - Alternate Channels (Sub Department).Area Manager.1',1
2 ,instr('Sales - Alternate Channels (Sub Department).Area Manager.1','-',1)-1)
3 from dual
4 /
SUBSTR('SALES-ALTERNATECHANNEL
Sales