Changing a column to proper case

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I have a MySQL file that is filled with information on the different
woods of the world.
In one column for the botanical species names, some of the first
characters in each
record are not capitalized when they should all be while many are
properly capitalized.
I need to correct this. The database is "TAXA". The column is "species_name".

I have been using SQL statements through both phpMyAdmin and
MySQL-front as front ends to the database. I get part way ok but need
others help to understand why the final
step does not work as follows:
............................................................ ............................................................ ...

This statement faithfully reports the first character in the
species_name field:

SELECT UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) from species;

This statement faithfully produces all other characters after the first
one in the specie_name field:

SELECT RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)-1) FROM species;

When I run both together, there is no error:

SELECT UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) FROM species;
SELECT RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)-1) FROM species;

When I finally try to concatenate the first character back together
with the rest of the species name, it does not work:

SELECT CONCAT(
UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) FROM species,
RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)) FROM species
);

Instead, I get an error near FROM species, RIGHT(species_name,
LENGTH(species_name)) FROM species

I know I must be close but cannot find out why this is not just working.

Also, when it finally reports the full species names correctly, does
it matter if I add in a SET statement to finally
replace the old entries or should I use an UPDATE command instead of
SELECT? Does it matter?

I look forward to your suggestions.

Bill Mudry



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Re: Changing a column to proper case

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On Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 7:42 AM, Bill Mudry wrote:

> I have a MySQL file that is filled with information on the different woods
> of the world.
> In one column for the botanical species names, some of the first characters
> in each
> record are not capitalized when they should all be while many are properly
> capitalized.
> I need to correct this. The database is "TAXA". The column is
> "species_name".
>
> I have been using SQL statements through both phpMyAdmin and MySQL-front as
> front ends to the database. I get part way ok but need others help to
> understand why the final
> step does not work as follows:
>
> ............................................................ ............................................................ ..
>
> This statement faithfully reports the first character in the
> species_name field:
>
> SELECT UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) from species;
>
> This statement faithfully produces all other characters after the first
> one in the specie_name field:
>
> SELECT RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)-1) FROM species;
>
> When I run both together, there is no error:
>
> SELECT UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) FROM species;
> SELECT RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)-1) FROM species;
>
> When I finally try to concatenate the first character back together
> with the rest of the species name, it does not work:
>
> SELECT CONCAT(
> UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) FROM species,
> RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)) FROM species
> );
>
> Instead, I get an error near FROM species, RIGHT(species_name,
> LENGTH(species_name)) FROM species
>
> I know I must be close but cannot find out why this is not just working.
>
> Also, when it finally reports the full species names correctly, does it
> matter if I add in a SET statement to finally
> replace the old entries or should I use an UPDATE command instead of
> SELECT? Does it matter?
>
> I look forward to your suggestions.
>
> Bill Mudry
>
>
> You don't have to duplicate the FROM part

SELECT
CONCAT(
UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)),
RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name))
)
FROM species;

should work.

Tyrael

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Re: Changing a column to proper case

> I have a MySQL file that is filled with information on the different
> woods of the world.
> In one column for the botanical species names, some of the first
> characters in each
> record are not capitalized when they should all be while many are
> properly capitalized.
> I need to correct this. The database is "TAXA". The column is "species_name".
>
> I have been using SQL statements through both phpMyAdmin and
> MySQL-front as front ends to the database. I get part way ok but need
> others help to understand why the final
> step does not work as follows:
> ............................................................ ............................................................ ..
>
> This statement faithfully reports the first character in the
> species_name field:
>
> SELECT UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) from species;
>
> This statement faithfully produces all other characters after the first
> one in the specie_name field:
>
> SELECT RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)-1) FROM species;
>
> When I run both together, there is no error:
>
> SELECT UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) FROM species;
> SELECT RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)-1) FROM species;
>
> When I finally try to concatenate the first character back together
> with the rest of the species name, it does not work:
>
> SELECT CONCAT(
> UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) FROM species,
> RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)) FROM species
> );

you have "FROM species" duplicated. A SELECT can only have one FROM
clause (but several tables in it). Try this.

SELECT CONCAT(
UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)), RIGHT(species_name,
LENGTH(species_name))
FROM species
);


> Instead, I get an error near FROM species, RIGHT(species_name,
> LENGTH(species_name)) FROM species
>
> I know I must be close but cannot find out why this is not just working.
>
> Also, when it finally reports the full species names correctly, does
> it matter if I add in a SET statement to finally
> replace the old entries or should I use an UPDATE command instead of
> SELECT? Does it matter?
>
> I look forward to your suggestions.
>
> Bill Mudry
>
>

--
Niel Archer



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Re: Changing a column to proper case

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Tyrael also suggested that and it worked! :-) .
That sure beats manually going through 6,500 records!

Now I need a statement (UPDATE or SELECT SET?) to permanently correct
all entries in the
species_name column. I tried both but do not have my syntax quite right.

Bill

At 02:08 AM 07/04/2010, you wrote:
> > I have a MySQL file that is filled with information on the different
> > woods of the world.
> > In one column for the botanical species names, some of the first
> > characters in each
> > record are not capitalized when they should all be while many are
> > properly capitalized.
> > I need to correct this. The database is "TAXA". The column is
> "species_name".
> >
> > I have been using SQL statements through both phpMyAdmin and
> > MySQL-front as front ends to the database. I get part way ok but need
> > others help to understand why the final
> > step does not work as follows:
> >
> ............................................................ ............................................................ ..
> >
> > This statement faithfully reports the first character in the
> > species_name field:
> >
> > SELECT UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) from species;
> >
> > This statement faithfully produces all other characters after the first
> > one in the specie_name field:
> >
> > SELECT RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)-1) FROM species;
> >
> > When I run both together, there is no error:
> >
> > SELECT UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) FROM species;
> > SELECT RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)-1) FROM species;
> >
> > When I finally try to concatenate the first character back together
> > with the rest of the species name, it does not work:
> >
> > SELECT CONCAT(
> > UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) FROM species,
> > RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)) FROM species
> > );
>
>you have "FROM species" duplicated. A SELECT can only have one FROM
>clause (but several tables in it). Try this.
>
> SELECT CONCAT(
> UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)), RIGHT(species_name,
>LENGTH(species_name))
>FROM species
> );
>
>
> > Instead, I get an error near FROM species, RIGHT(species_name,
> > LENGTH(species_name)) FROM species
> >
> > I know I must be close but cannot find out why this is not just working.
> >
> > Also, when it finally reports the full species names correctly, does
> > it matter if I add in a SET statement to finally
> > replace the old entries or should I use an UPDATE command instead of
> > SELECT? Does it matter?
> >
> > I look forward to your suggestions.
> >
> > Bill Mudry
> >
> >
>
>--
>Niel Archer
>
>
>
>--
>PHP Windows Mailing List (http://www.php.net/)
>To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php

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Re: Changing a column to proper case

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UPDATE species SET species_name =
CONCAT(
UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)),
RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)-1)
);

Should work, but didn't tested.

Tyrael

On Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 8:12 AM, Bill Mudry wrote:

> Tyrael also suggested that and it worked! :-) .
> That sure beats manually going through 6,500 records!
>
> Now I need a statement (UPDATE or SELECT SET?) to permanently correct all
> entries in the
> species_name column. I tried both but do not have my syntax quite right.
>
> Bill
>
>
> At 02:08 AM 07/04/2010, you wrote:
>
>> > I have a MySQL file that is filled with information on the different
>> > woods of the world.
>> > In one column for the botanical species names, some of the first
>> > characters in each
>> > record are not capitalized when they should all be while many are
>> > properly capitalized.
>> > I need to correct this. The database is "TAXA". The column is
>> "species_name".
>> >
>> > I have been using SQL statements through both phpMyAdmin and
>> > MySQL-front as front ends to the database. I get part way ok but need
>> > others help to understand why the final
>> > step does not work as follows:
>> >
>> ............................................................ ............................................................ ..
>> >
>> > This statement faithfully reports the first character in the
>> > species_name field:
>> >
>> > SELECT UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) from species;
>> >
>> > This statement faithfully produces all other characters after the first
>> > one in the specie_name field:
>> >
>> > SELECT RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)-1) FROM species;
>> >
>> > When I run both together, there is no error:
>> >
>> > SELECT UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) FROM species;
>> > SELECT RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)-1) FROM species;
>> >
>> > When I finally try to concatenate the first character back together
>> > with the rest of the species name, it does not work:
>> >
>> > SELECT CONCAT(
>> > UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)) FROM species,
>> > RIGHT(species_name, LENGTH(species_name)) FROM species
>> > );
>>
>> you have "FROM species" duplicated. A SELECT can only have one FROM
>> clause (but several tables in it). Try this.
>>
>> SELECT CONCAT(
>> UCASE(LEFT(species_name, 1)), RIGHT(species_name,
>> LENGTH(species_name))
>> FROM species
>> );
>>
>>
>> > Instead, I get an error near FROM species, RIGHT(species_name,
>> > LENGTH(species_name)) FROM species
>> >
>> > I know I must be close but cannot find out why this is not just working.
>> >
>> > Also, when it finally reports the full species names correctly, does
>> > it matter if I add in a SET statement to finally
>> > replace the old entries or should I use an UPDATE command instead of
>> > SELECT? Does it matter?
>> >
>> > I look forward to your suggestions.
>> >
>> > Bill Mudry
>> >
>> >
>>
>> --
>> Niel Archer
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> PHP Windows Mailing List (http://www.php.net/)
>> To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
>>
>

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