SQL method to replace repeating blanks with single blanks

Question

Is there a more elegant way of doing this. I want to replace repeating blanks with single blanks....

   declare @i int

    set @i=0
    while @i <= 20
           


        

Answer 1

Step through the characters one by one, and maintain a record of the previous character. If the current character is a space, and the last character is a space, stuff it.

CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[fnRemoveExtraSpaces]  (@Number AS varchar(1000))
Returns Varchar(1000)
As
Begin
Declare @n int  -- Length of counter
Declare @old char(1)

Set @n = 1
--Begin Loop of field value
While @n <=Len (@Number)
    BEGIN
     If Substring(@Number, @n, 1) = ' ' AND @old = ' '
      BEGIN
        Select @Number = Stuff( @Number , @n , 1 , '' )
      END
     Else
      BEGIN
       SET @old = Substring(@Number, @n, 1)
       Set @n = @n + 1
      END
    END
Return @number
END
GO


select [dbo].[fnRemoveExtraSpaces]('xxx     xxx     xxx    xxx')

Answer 2

Update myTable set myTextColumn = replace(myTextColumn, '  ', ' ');

The above query will remove all the double blank spaces with single blank space

But this would work only once.

Answer 3

Here is a Simplest solution :)

    update myTable
    set myTextColumn = replace(replace(replace(LTrim(RTrim(myTextColumn )),' ','<>'),'><',''),'<>',' ')

Answer 4

WHILE
 (SELECT count(myIDcolumn) 
  from myTable where myTextColumn like '%  %') > 0
BEGIN
  UPDATE myTable 
  SET myTextColumn = REPLACE(myTextColumn ,'  ',' ')
END

Answer 5

Try this:

UPDATE Ships
SET name = REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(name, '  ', ' ' + CHAR(1)), CHAR(1) + ' ', ''), CHAR(1), '')
WHERE name LIKE '%  %'

Answer 6

select 
    string = replace(
                replace(
                    replace(' select   single       spaces',' ','<>')
                    ,'><','')
                ,'<>',' ')

Replace duplicate spaces with a single space in T-SQL