---
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title: Perform String Manipulations
collection: developer
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content_type: documentation
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  - Data 360 Query Guide
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---
# Perform String Manipulations

To modify the string values that a query returns, such as when a query returns only part of a string, use string manipulation functions. For example, if the first-name field includes a middle name, such as `Edna Martha`, you want to return only the middle name, `Martha`.

To extract the portion of a string value after a starting position, use `substring(string, startPosition)`. The `startPosition` argument starts from 1. In the name `Edna Martha`, the position of the first letter in `Martha` is 6. The substring function in this query returns `Martha`.

```
SELECT substring("ssot__FirstName__c", 6)
FROM "UnifiedIndividual__dlm"

```

However, the position of the middle name isn’t always the same, depending on the length of the first name. A better way to get the position of the middle name is to call the `strpos()` function. Because the first name and middle name are always delimited by a space, you can use `strpos()` to get the position of the space. Then add 1 so the position references the start of the middle name. This query combines `strpos()` and `substring()` to return the middle name.

```
SELECT substring("ssot__FirstName__c",
       strpos("ssot__FirstName__c", ' ')+1)
FROM "UnifiedIndividual__dlm"

```