What is the FIND_IN_SET() function in MySQL?
FIND_IN_SET() returns the 1-based position of a string in a comma-separated list, or 0 if not found, and is useful for searching denormalized data; however, it requires exact matches, is case-insensitive by default, performs poorly on large tables due to lack of index support, and should be avoided in favor of normalized designs with junction tables for better performance and scalability.
The FIND_IN_SET()
function in MySQL is used to find the position of a string within a comma-separated list of strings. It’s helpful when you need to search for a value in a SET
-type field or any string that stores multiple values separated by commas.
How FIND_IN_SET() Works
The function takes two arguments:
FIND_IN_SET(search_string, comma_separated_list)
It returns:
- The position (1-based index) of
search_string
in the list if found. -
0
if the string is not found. -
NULL
if either argument isNULL
.
For example:
SELECT FIND_IN_SET('apple', 'banana,apple,orange'); -- Returns: 2
Here, 'apple'
is the second item in the list, so the function returns 2
.
Key Points and Usage Tips
Exact Match Required: The search is for an exact match. Partial matches or extra spaces can cause failures.
SELECT FIND_IN_SET('app', 'apple,banana'); -- Returns: 0
Case Insensitivity: The function performs a case-insensitive comparison when using case-insensitive collations (which is the default in many setups).
SELECT FIND_IN_SET('Apple', 'apple,banana'); -- Returns: 1
Use with Caution in Large Tables: Since
FIND_IN_SET()
operates on string parsing, it can’t use standard indexes efficiently. Using it inWHERE
clauses may lead to full table scans and performance issues.Better Alternatives Exist: Storing comma-separated values in a single column violates database normalization rules. A better design is to use a separate junction table for one-to-many or many-to-many relationships.
Instead of:
users table: id | hobbies 1 | 'reading,swimming'
Use:
users: id | name user_hobbies: user_id | hobby
Then query with
JOIN
orIN
, which are more efficient and scalable.
Practical Example
Suppose you have a table projects
where each project has a tags
field like 'web,design,frontend'
:
SELECT name FROM projects WHERE FIND_IN_SET('design', tags) > 0;
This returns all projects that have 'design'
as one of the tags.
Limitations
- Doesn’t handle spaces well.
'design'
won’t match' design'
due to the leading space. - Not index-friendly — avoid in large datasets or high-performance applications.
- Not a substitute for proper relational design.
Basically, FIND_IN_SET()
is handy for quick checks or legacy systems with denormalized data, but it's not ideal for scalable or well-structured databases.
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