Oracle/PLSQL: LPAD Function
This Oracle tutorial explains how to use the Oracle/PLSQL LPAD function with syntax and examples.
Description
The Oracle/PLSQL LPAD function pads the left-side of a string with a specific set of characters (when string1 is not null).
Syntax
The syntax for the LPAD function in Oracle/PLSQL is:
LPAD( string1, padded_length [, pad_string] )
Parameters or Arguments
- string1
- The string to pad characters to (the left-hand side).
- padded_length
- The number of characters to return. If the padded_length is smaller than the original string, the LPAD function will truncate the string to the size of padded_length.
- pad_string
- Optional. This is the string that will be padded to the left-hand side of string1. If this parameter is omitted, the LPAD function will pad spaces to the left-side of string1.
Applies To
The LPAD function can be used in the following versions of Oracle/PLSQL:
- Oracle 12c, Oracle 11g, Oracle 10g, Oracle 9i, Oracle 8i
Example
Let's look at some Oracle LPAD function examples and explore how to use the LPAD function in Oracle/PLSQL.
For example:
LPAD('tech', 7);
Result: ' tech'
LPAD('tech', 2);
Result: 'te'
LPAD('tech', 8, '0');
Result: '0000tech'
LPAD('tech on the net', 15, 'z');
Result: 'tech on the net'
LPAD('tech on the net', 16, 'z');
Result: 'ztech on the net'