SQL REVERSE()

The SQL REVERSE() function reverses the order of characters in a given string. This function is useful for various text manipulation tasks, such as checking for palindromes, reversing text for formatting purposes, or data processing needs.

The REVERSE() function is widely supported across SQL databases, including SQL Server, MySQL, and PostgreSQL.

In this tutorial, we will go through SQL REVERSE() String function, its syntax, and how to use this function in SQL statements for string operations, with the help of well detailed examples.

Syntax of SQL REVERSE() Function

The basic syntax of the SQL REVERSE() function is:

</>
Copy
REVERSE(string);

Each part of this syntax has a specific purpose:

  • string: The string or text value you want to reverse. This can be a column, variable, or text literal.

The REVERSE() function returns a new string with the characters in reverse order.

Setup for Examples: Creating the Database and Table

We’ll create a sample names table with a full_name column to demonstrate the REVERSE() function examples.

1. First, create a new database called company_data:

</>
Copy
CREATE DATABASE company_data;

2. Select the company_data database to work with:

</>
Copy
USE company_data;

3. Create a table named names with the full_name field:

</>
Copy
CREATE TABLE names (
    name_id INT PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
    full_name VARCHAR(100)
);

4. Insert sample data into the names table to use with the REVERSE() function examples:

</>
Copy
INSERT INTO names (full_name)
VALUES ('Anna'), ('Bob'), ('John Doe'), ('Eve'), ('Madam');

With this setup complete, we can run the REVERSE() function examples to test and view results in the names table.