mySQL - Extract of a table column?

[bluntster]

I remember coming accross a way to retrive an extract of a mySQL table column, but now I can't find any mention of it.

Say I have a table with a column called newsArticles, and I want to display just the first 128 chrs to give the viewer an extract, isn't there something you can do like:
"SELECT extract(newsArticle,128) FROM table"

Or better still, can I cut it off at the next space (" ") to avoid cutting off a word?

Thanks for your (time/help/cash donations?)

Neil

[emcb_php]

Hi,

Im not quite sure if this works as im backing up my server but illgive it a go anyway.

<?php

$link = mysql_connect("server", "user", "pass") or die("Could not connect.");
mysql_select_db("db_name") or die("Could not select db.");
$query = "SELECT newsAtrticle FROM table";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die("Query failed.");
while ($r = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
extract($r, 128);
echo "News Extract\n$newsArticle\n\n";
}
mysql_close($link);

?>

Elfyn

[Anon]

To get the first 128 characters:

SELECT LEFT(newsArticle, 128) FROM table;

And to get the first word:

SELECT SUBSTRING_INDEX(newsArticle, ' ', 1) FROM table;

Regards

Robert