Oracle / PLSQL: LENGTH Function

This Oracle tutorial explains how to use the Oracle/PLSQL LENGTH function with syntax and examples.

Description

The Oracle/PLSQL LENGTH function returns the length of the specified string.

Syntax

The syntax for the LENGTH function in Oracle/PLSQL is:

LENGTH( string1 )

Parameters or Arguments

string1

The string to return the length for.

Returns

The LENGTH function returns a numeric value. If string1 is NULL, then the LENGTH function will return NULL.

Applies To

The LENGTH 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 LENGTH function examples and explore how to use the LENGTH function in Oracle/PLSQL.

For example:

LENGTH(NULL)
Output: NULL

LENGTH('')
Output: NULL

LENGTH(' ')
Output: 1

LENGTH('aodb is the nic')
Output: 15

LENGTH('aodb is the nic ')
Output: 16