-- but you can use right function as well :)
UPDATE ACCOUNTS
SET CATEGORYID = right( cast(ACCOUNTID AS varchar(20) ), 1)
Main Topics
Browse All TopicsI have a table with the following columns
ACCOUNTID CATEGORYID
1001 10
1002 10
1003 10
1004 10
..... .....
I would like the table to look like the following:
ACCOUNTID CATEGORYID
1001 1
1002 2
1003 3
1004 4
..... .....
So the categoryid takes its value from the last digit of the account id. I have the following statement to achieve this:
UPDATE ACCOUNTS
SET CATEGORYID = SUBSTRING(ACCOUNTID, LEN(ACCOUNTID), 1)
However, this won't work as the account and category columns are INT. Is there any way I can convert the these temporarily to VARCHAR before running the substring function.
This Question has been solved and asker verified All Experts Exchange premium technology solutions are available to subscription members.
Experts Exchange has been collecting answers to technology questions since 1996…3 million and counting! If you have a question, chances are we already have your answer.
If you can't find the exact answer you're looking for, ask our exclusive community of 50,000 experts. You’ll get a personalized answer from a trusted professional.
Thousands of free tech tips, tricks, how-to’s and tutorials are available in our peer reviewed articles section. See for yourself how smart our experts are, no login required.
Access the answers to your technology questions today.
30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.
Members of the expert community talk about why the experience at Experts Exchange is different than what you will find anywhere else.

Try it out and discover for yourself.
30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.
Join the community of experts here and help other tech pros by answering question in your area of expertise. You can earn FREE access to all Experts Exchange's premium features and resources.
Business Accounts
Answer for Membership
by: illPosted on 2005-02-02 at 02:29:40ID: 13201685
UPDATE ACCOUNTS
SET CATEGORYID = SUBSTRING( cast(ACCOUNTID AS varchar(20) ), LEN(cast(ACCOUNTID AS varchar(20) )), 1)