MySQL CONCAT_WS() Function
The CONCAT_WS() function in MySQL concatenates (joins together) two or more strings, with a separator that you specify. This is a very useful function for creating combined text strings from individual parts.
CONCAT_WS(): Definition and Usage
CONCAT_WS() is designed to make string concatenation simpler and more readable, particularly when you need to insert a separator between multiple strings. The first argument is always the separator, followed by the strings you wish to join. If the separator is NULL, the function returns NULL. Any arguments that are NULL are skipped.
Syntax
Syntax
CONCAT_WS(separator, expression1, expression2, expression3, ...)
Parameter Values
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
separator |
The string used as a separator between the expressions. This is required. If NULL, the result is NULL. |
expression1, expression2, expression3, ... |
The strings to concatenate. At least one expression is required. NULL expressions are skipped. |
Related Function
For basic string concatenation without a separator, see the CONCAT() function.
Examples
Concatenating Strings with a Separator
This example concatenates strings with a "-" separator.
Syntax
SELECT CONCAT_WS("-", "SQL", "Tutorial", "is", "fun!") AS ConcatenatedString;
Output
SQL-Tutorial-is-fun!
Concatenating Columns into an Address
This example combines 'Address', 'PostalCode', and 'City' columns from a 'Customers' table into a single 'Address' column using spaces as separators. (Assumes a 'Customers' table exists with these columns.)
Syntax
SELECT CONCAT_WS(" ", Address, PostalCode, City) AS Address
FROM Customers;
Output
Address
------------------------------------
(Combined address for each customer will be displayed here)