Nested replace() functions: a better way?

Cleaning up phone number data imported from Excel. This admittedly ugly script works, but I can't help but wonder if there's a better or more efficient way of doing this than multiple nested calls to the replace() function?

Code:

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-- clean up data
UPDATE prmd_company set
phone = REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(rtrim(ltrim(phone)), 'Ph: ', ''), '(', ''), ')', ''), '-', ''), 'ext', 'x'), '+', ''), '.', ''), ':', ''), ' ', ''), CHAR(160), ''),
fax = REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(rtrim(ltrim(fax)), 'Fax: ', ''), '(', ''), ')', ''), '-', ''), 'ext', 'x'), '+', ''), '.', ''), ':', ''), ' ', ''), CHAR(160), ''),

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I'm assuming you mean SQL Server and just glancing at it you only want number? Here is a link to something you might be able to use:

http://blogs.lessthandot.com/index.p...th-sql-server/

I changed the function to:

Code:

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Create Function dbo.GetNumbers(@Data VarChar(8000))
Returns VarChar(8000)
AS
Begin       
    Return Left(
            SubString(@Data, PatIndex('%[0-9-]%', @Data), 8000),
            PatIndex('%[^0-9-]%', SubString(@Data, PatIndex('%[0-9-]%', @Data), 8000) + 'X')-1)
End

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to not allows periods.

Same principle here...I like this guys site:

http://blog.sqlauthority.com/2008/10...-numbers-only/

this multiple replaces are truely ugly. i do not think that there is a built in way around it but you could write your own multi replace:

Code:

---

-- =============================================
-- Author:                the digital shaman
-- Create date: Jul 2014
-- usage: select dbo.multireplace('ph ext 1ph3- 78','ph,|ext,x|-,|')
-- =============================================
CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[MultiReplace] (@Input varchar(500),@Replacements varchar(500)) RETURNS varchar(500) AS
BEGIN
        while @Replacements <> ''
                begin
                        declare @Item varchar(20)=SUBSTRING(@Replacements,1,PATINDEX('%|%',@Replacements)-1)
                        declare @Search varchar(20)='%' + SUBSTRING(@item,1,PATINDEX('%,%',@item)-1) + '%'
                        declare @Replace varchar(20)=SUBSTRING(@item,PATINDEX('%,%',@item)+1,20)
                        while PATINDEX(@Search,@Input)>0
                                set @Input = STUFF(@Input,PATINDEX(@Search,@Input),LEN(@Search)-2,@Replace)
                        set @Replacements=SUBSTRING(@Replacements, len(@Item)+2,500)
                end

   
    Return @Input
END

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this is quickly fiddled together so please dont blame me if it fails in some cases...