Little SQL Server Tricks: Get the Last 2 Letters in a Column

Getting parts of a string is usually a job for SUBSTRING. However, when you only care about the last two characters of a string, save yourself the troubles of calculating the starting point for the SUBSTRING function. A much simpler approach is to use the RIGHT function:

SELECT RIGHT('Hello world!', 2) -- returns d!

You can use this with a column name inside your SELECT statement as well:

SELECT [Name], RIGHT([Name], 2) AS 'ends with'
FROM [Sales].[Store]

This RIGHT() function is lot simpler to remember than the calculation for SUBSTRING. Even better, you can use LEFT in the same way to get the first few characters of a string:

SELECT LEFT('Hello world!', 2) -- returns He

The next time you need a part form the beginning or the end of a string, use the RIGHT or LEFT function.