SQL Server : How to test if a string has only digit characters

Question

I am working in SQL Server 2008. I am trying to test whether a string (varchar) has only digit characters (0-9). I know that the IS_NUMERIC function can give spurious results.

Answer 1

I was attempting to find strings with numbers ONLY, no punctuation or anything else. I finally found an answer that would work here.

Using PATINDEX('%[^0-9]%', some_column) = 0 allowed me to filter out everything but actual number strings.

Answer 2

Method that will work. The way it is used above will not work.

declare @str varchar(50)='79136'

select 
  case 
    when  @str LIKE replicate('[0-9]',LEN(@str)) then 1 
    else 0 
  end

declare @str2 varchar(50)='79D136'

select 
  case 
    when  @str2 LIKE replicate('[0-9]',LEN(@str)) then 1 
    else 0 
  end

Answer 3

Use Not Like

where some_column NOT LIKE '%[^0-9]%'

Demo

declare @str varchar(50)='50'--'asdarew345'

select 1 where @str NOT LIKE '%[^0-9]%'

Answer 4

Solution: where some_column NOT LIKE '%[^0-9]%' Is correct.

Just one important note: Add validation for when the string column = '' (empty string). This scenario will return that '' is a valid number as well.

Answer 5

DECLARE @x int=1
declare @exit bit=1
WHILE @x<=len('123c') AND @exit=1
BEGIN
IF ascii(SUBSTRING('123c',@x,1)) BETWEEN 48 AND 57
BEGIN
set @x=@x+1
END
ELSE
BEGIN
SET @exit=0
PRINT 'string is not all numeric  -:('
END
END

Answer 6

The selected answer does not work.

declare @str varchar(50)='79D136'

select 1 where @str NOT LIKE '%[^0-9]%'

I don't have a solution but know of this potential pitfall. The same goes if you substitute the letter 'D' for 'E' which is scientific notation.