Locale-aware string functions

Vertica provides string functions to support internationalization.

Vertica provides string functions to support internationalization. Unless otherwise specified, these string functions can optionally specify whether VARCHAR arguments should be interpreted as octet (byte) sequences, or as (locale-aware) sequences of characters. Specify this information by adding the parameter USING OCTETS and USING CHARACTERS (default) to the function.

The following table lists all string functions that are locale-aware:

String function	Description
`BTRIM`	Removes the longest string consisting only of specified characters from the start and end of a string.
`CHARACTER_LENGTH`	Returns an integer value representing the number of characters or octets in a string.
`GREATEST`	Returns the largest value in a list of expressions.
`GREATESTB`	Returns its greatest argument, using binary ordering, not UTF-8 character ordering.
`INITCAP`	Capitalizes first letter of each alphanumeric word and puts the rest in lowercase.
`INSTR`	Searches string for substring and returns an integer indicating the position of the character in string that is the first character of this occurrence.
`LEAST`	Returns the smallest value in a list of expressions.
`LEASTB`	Returns its least argument, using binary ordering, not UTF-8 character ordering.
`LEFT`	Returns the specified characters from the left side of a string.
`LENGTH`	Takes one argument as an input and returns returns an integer value representing the number of characters in a string.
`LTRIM`	Returns a `VARCHAR` value representing a string with leading blanks removed from the left side (beginning).
`OVERLAY`	Returns a `VARCHAR` value representing a string having had a substring replaced by another string.
`OVERLAYB`	Returns an octet value representing a string having had a substring replaced by another string.
`REPLACE`	replaces all occurrences of characters in a string with another set of characters.
`RIGHT`	Returns the length right-most characters of string.
`SUBSTR`	Returns a `VARCHAR` value representing a substring of a specified string.
`SUBSTRB`	Returns a byte value representing a substring of a specified string.
`SUBSTRING`	Given a value, a position, and an optional length, returns a value representing a substring of the specified string at the given position.
`TRANSLATE`	Replaces individual characters in string_to_replace with other characters.
`UPPER`	Returns a `VARCHAR` value containing the argument converted to uppercase letters.