MySQLdata extraction

Extract File Extension from Filename in MySQL with Regex

Use MySQL REGEXP_SUBSTR to extract file extensions from filename columns. SQL examples for file type extraction and filtering.

The Regex Pattern

Regex pattern

\.[a-zA-Z0-9]{2,5}$

Use this pattern with MySQL's REGEXP operator.

MySQL SQL Example

-- Extract file extensions like .pdf .jpg from a filename or file_path column in a MySQL files or documents table
SELECT *
FROM your_table
WHERE your_column REGEXP '\\.[a-zA-Z0-9]{2,5}$';

How This Works

Extract file extensions like .pdf .jpg from a filename or file_path column in a MySQL files or documents table. The regex pattern is used with MySQL's REGEXP operator to filter rows at the database level.

Using regex directly in SQL is efficient for use cases like data extraction โ€” it avoids loading data into application memory just to filter it with a regex.

Need a custom SQL + Regex query?

Describe your specific use case in plain English. RegSQL generates the exact MySQL query with the right regex pattern for your schema.

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