How to make a line/string to multiple records

Question

So, I want to create a teacher-degree (1:m) table. I have this example:

One professor has 3 degrees.

This is the actual string I have(multiple of these actually):

B.A, 1983, University of China; M.B.A, 1999, University of Taiwan; Ph.D, 1999, University of Southern California,

The fields are: professorID, degreeType, degreeYear, Institute

The expected table data:

Prof-13434, B.A, 1983, University of China

Prof-13434, M.B.A, 1999, University of Taiwan

Prof-13434, Ph.D, 2003, University of California

That is my goal, I have tried everything but I cant figure anything out. Trying to go from one string to multiple records is harder than I thought.

Answer 1

Just to be clear:

Each degree has:

Position 1) Degree Type Position 2) Year Position 3) Univerity / College

Item 4) There can be more than 1 degree or only 1 degree.

Other Criteria: Each entire section is separated by a ';' (semicolon) each subsection is separated by a comma.
No other commas are in the string?

Here's the code.

Declare @TestName as varchar(500)
Declare @Pos1 as int
Declare @Pos2 as int
Declare @Pos3 as int
Declare @Pos4 as int

Set @TestName = 'B.A, 1983, University of China; M.B.A, 1999, University of Taiwan; Ph.D, 1999, University of Southern California,'

---Start loop
--Get the position of the first 'comma'
Select @Pos1= PATINDEX('%,%',@TestName)

--Get the position of the second 'comma'
Select @Pos2= PATINDEX('%,%',Substring(@TestName, (@Pos1+1), (Len(@TestName)-(@Pos1+1))))

--Get the position of the end section.
Select @Pos3= PATINDEX('%;%',Substring(@TestName, (@Pos2+@Pos1+1), (Len(@TestName) )))

Select 
SUBSTRING(@TestName, 1, @Pos1-1) as DegreeType, 
lTRIM(SUBSTRING(@TestName, @Pos1+1, @Pos2-1)) as GradYear,
SUBSTRING(@TestName, @Pos1+@Pos2+1, @Pos3-1) as University

-- Reset the value of @TestName so you can loop start over.
Set @TestName = SUBSTRING(@TestName,@Pos1+@Pos2+@Pos3+1, Len(@TestName) - @Pos3+1)

--Shows you what is left.
Select @TestName
--Loop End

You'll still need to build loop and the above code is in SQL Server but it should translate across if you are using another database system.

Answer 2

You can make it with LOCATE() as above:

Query:

# String
SET @Str='B.A, 1983, University of China; M.B.A, 1999, University of Taiwan; Ph.D, 1999, University of Southern California,';
# First ;
SET @POS1=LOCATE(';',@Str);
# Second ;
SET @POS2=LOCATE(';',@Str,@POS1+1);
# Proffesor
SET @PROF="INSERT INTO yourdb.yourtable SELECT 'Prof-13434',";
# Query
SELECT REPLACE(MID(@Str,@POS2+2,LENGTH(@Str)-@POS2),';',"';\n");
SELECT CONCAT_WS(CONCAT(@PROF,"'"),'',
            IFNULL(REPLACE(REPLACE(LEFT(@Str,@POS1),';',"';\n"),', ',"', '"),''),
            IFNULL(REPLACE(REPLACE(MID(@Str,@POS1+2,@POS2-@POS1),';',"';\n"),', ',"', '"),''),
            IFNULL(REPLACE(REPLACE(IF(MID(@Str,@POS2+2,LENGTH(@Str)-@POS2) NOT LIKE '%;%',
                                        CONCAT(MID(@Str,@POS2+2,LENGTH(@Str)-@POS2),';'),
                                        MID(@Str,@POS2+2,LENGTH(@Str)-@POS2)),';',"';\n"),', ',"', '"),''));

Of course you can do the same with a populate table.

Steps:

1. Setting the @Str variable;
2. Setting the first position of ;.
3. Setting the second position of ;.
4. Setting the @PROF variable, is a mix of the INSERT INTO with the fields that will help you to populate your table.

Test:

mysql> # String
mysql> SET @Str='B.A, 1983, University of China; M.B.A, 1999, University of Taiwan; Ph.D, 1999, University of Southern California,';
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> # First ;
mysql> SET @POS1=LOCATE(';',@Str);
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> # Second ;
mysql> SET @POS2=LOCATE(';',@Str,@POS1+1);
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> # Proffesor
mysql> SET @PROF="INSERT INTO yourdb.yourtable SELECT 'Prof-13434',";
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> # Query
mysql> SELECT REPLACE(MID(@Str,@POS2+2,LENGTH(@Str)-@POS2),';',"';\n");
+----------------------------------------------------------+
| REPLACE(MID(@Str,@POS2+2,LENGTH(@Str)-@POS2),';',"';\n") |
+----------------------------------------------------------+
| Ph.D, 1999, University of Southern California,           |
+----------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

mysql> SELECT CONCAT_WS(CONCAT(@PROF,"'"),'',
    -> IFNULL(REPLACE(REPLACE(LEFT(@Str,@POS1),';',"';\n"),', ',"', '"),''),
    -> IFNULL(REPLACE(REPLACE(MID(@Str,@POS1+2,@POS2-@POS1),';',"';\n"),', ',"', '"),''),
    -> IFNULL(REPLACE(REPLACE(IF(MID(@Str,@POS2+2,LENGTH(@Str)-@POS2) NOT LIKE '%;%',
    -> CONCAT(MID(@Str,@POS2+2,LENGTH(@Str)-@POS2),';'),
    -> MID(@Str,@POS2+2,LENGTH(@Str)-@POS2)),';',"';\n"),', ',"', '"),''));
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| CONCAT_WS(CONCAT(@PROF,"'"),'',
IFNULL(REPLACE(REPLACE(LEFT(@Str,@POS1),';',"';\n"),', ',"', '"),''),
IFNULL(REPLACE(REPLACE(MID(@Str,@POS1+2,@POS2-@POS1),';',"';\n"),', ',"', '"),''),
IFNULL(REPLACE(REPLACE(IF(MID(@Str,@POS2+2,LENGTH(@Str)-@POS2) NOT LIKE                          |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| INSERT INTO yourdb.yourtable SELECT 'Prof-13434','B.A', '1983', 'University of China';
INSERT INTO yourdb.yourtable SELECT 'Prof-13434','M.B.A', '1999', 'University of Taiwan';
 INSERT INTO yourdb.yourtable SELECT 'Prof-13434','Ph.D', '1999', 'University of Southern California,';
 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

mysql> 

You can also test it here: SQLFiddle.