MySQL – Query to Replace Text with Sequential Numbers

MySQLmysql-5.7phpmyadminquery

I have an images database, the default sort is the "name" column, and the "description" column content is the exact same in all files in the table. what I need is to replace certain text in the "description" with numbers respectively.

Example of the "description" entry to all items:

"Photo number # more text text"

The query should replace the "#" symbol with sequential numbers, ordered by 'name' column. Where the first row should be Photo number 1, and second Photo number 2.. etc.

I tried some queries with row_number (in phpmyadmin), but I am not sure if it is the right way to do that or what.. as they didn't work.

Server version: 5.7.24-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 – (Ubuntu)

Best Answer

Use a variable to get an auto-incremented value and update description using this value. Or use Rick James's answer and add a sequenced column to your table as a number for each picture. 

create table t (name varchar(10), description varchar(100));
insert into t values ('b', '"Photo number # - Gallery name"');
insert into t values ('c', '"Photo number # - Gallery name"');
insert into t values ('a', '"Photo number # - Gallery name"');
insert into t values ('x', '"Photo number # - Gallery name"');

update t
join (select 
          name, @num := @num + 1 as num
      from
          t, (select @num := 0) t
      order by
          name) t2
on t2.name = t.name
set description = replace(description, '#', cast(num as varchar(10)));

select * from t order by name;

name | description                    
:--- | :------------------------------
a    | "Photo number 1 - Gallery name"
b    | "Photo number 2 - Gallery name"
c    | "Photo number 3 - Gallery name"
x    | "Photo number 4 - Gallery name"

db<>fiddle here

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