In SQL, the DIGITS function extracts digits from a decimal value, which ignores sign, periods. It gives pure numeric digits. The shared example gives you a clear idea of how it works.
The syntax for DIGITS Function.
DIGITS ( expression )The schema is SYSIBM. The DIGITS function returns a character string representation of a number.
The argument must be an expression that returns a value of type SMALLINT, INTEGER, BIGINT or DECIMAL.
“If the argument can be null, the result can be null; if the argument is null, the result is the null value.”
The result of the function is a fixed-length character string representing the absolute value of the argument without regard to its scale.
The result does not include a sign or a decimal character. Instead, it consists exclusively of digits, including, if necessary, leading zeros to fill out the string. The length of the
string is:
- 5 if the argument is a small integer
- 10 if the argument is a large integer
- 19 if the argument is a big integer
- p if the argument is a decimal number with a precision of p.
Examples:
Assume that a table called TABLEX contains an INTEGER column called INTCOL containing 10-digit numbers. List all distinct four-digit combinations of the first four digits contained in column INTCOL.
SELECT DISTINCT SUBSTR(DIGITS(INTCOL),1,4)
FROM TABLEX;Assume that COLUMNX has the DECIMAL(6,2) data type and that one of its values is -6.28. Then, for this value:
DIGITS(COLUMNX) Returns the value ‘000628’.
Result:
The result is a string of length six (the precision of the column) with leading zeros padding the string out to this length. Neither sign nor decimal point appears in the result.
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