trim-transact-sql.md

title	TRIM (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs
ms.custom
ms.date	03/27/2019
ms.prod	sql
ms.prod_service	database-engine, sql-database
ms.reviewer	jrasnick
ms.technology	t-sql
ms.topic	conceptual
f1_keywords	TRIM TRIM_TSQL
dev_langs	TSQL
helpviewer_keywords	TRIM function
ms.assetid	a00245aa-32c7-4ad4-a0d1-64f3d6841153
author	MashaMSFT
ms.author	mathoma
manager	craigg
monikerRange	=azuresqldb-current||>=sql-server-2017||=sqlallproducts-allversions||>=sql-server-linux-2017||=azuresqldb-mi-current

TRIM (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDEtsql-appliesto-ss2017-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md]

Removes the space character char(32) or other specified characters from the start or end of a string.

Syntax

-- Syntax for SQL Server and Azure SQL Database
TRIM ( [ characters FROM ] string )

Arguments

characters Is a literal, variable, or function call of any non-LOB character type (nvarchar, varchar, nchar, or char) containing characters that should be removed. nvarchar(max) and varchar(max) types aren't allowed.

string Is an expression of any character type (nvarchar, varchar, nchar, or char) where characters should be removed.

Return Types

Returns a character expression with a type of string argument where the space character char(32) or other specified characters are removed from both sides. Returns NULL if input string is NULL.

Remarks

By default TRIM function removes the space character char(32) from both sides. This behavior is equivalent to LTRIM(RTRIM(@string)). Behavior of TRIM function with specified characters is identical to behavior of REPLACE function where characters from start or end are replaced with empty strings.

Examples

A. Removes the space character from both sides of string

The following example removes spaces from before and after the word test.

SELECT TRIM( '     test    ') AS Result;

[!INCLUDEssResult_md]

test

B. Removes specified characters from both sides of string

The following example removes a trailing period and trailing spaces.

SELECT TRIM( '.,! ' FROM  '#     test    .') AS Result;

[!INCLUDEssResult_md] # test

See Also

LEFT (Transact-SQL)
LTRIM (Transact-SQL)
RIGHT (Transact-SQL)
RTRIM (Transact-SQL)
STRING_SPLIT (Transact-SQL)
SUBSTRING (Transact-SQL)
String Functions (Transact-SQL)