tsql - Is it possible to match any character that is not ']' in PATINDEX? -

i need find index of first character not ]. match character except x, use pattern [^x]. problem [^]] closes first bracket early. first part, [^], match character.

in documentation like operator, if scroll down section "using wildcard characters literals" shows table of methods indicated literal characters [ , ] inside pattern. makes no mention of using [ or ] inside double brackets. if pattern being used like operator, use escape clause. like doesn't return index , patindex doesn't seem have parameter escape clause.

is there no way this?

(this may seem arbitrary. put context around it, need match ] followed character not ] in order locate end of quoted identifier. ]] character escape inside quoted identifier.)

this isn't possible. connect item patindex missing escape clause closed won't fix.

i'd use clr , regular expressions.

a simple implementation might be

using system.data.sqltypes; using system.text.regularexpressions;  public partial class userdefinedfunctions {     [microsoft.sqlserver.server.sqlfunction]     public static sqlint32 patindexclr(sqlstring pattern, sqlstring expression)     {         if (pattern.isnull || expression.isnull)             return new sqlint32();          match match = regex.match(expression.tostring(), pattern.tostring());         if (match.success)         {             return new sqlint32(match.index + 1);         }         else         {             return new sqlint32(0);         }     } } 

with example usage

select  [dbo].[patindexclr] ( n'[^]]', n']]]]]]]]abc[def'); 

if not option possible flaky workaround might substitute character unlikely in data without special significance in grammar.

with t(value) ( select ']]]]]]]]abc[def' ) select patindex('%[^' + char(7) + ']%', replace(value,']', char(7))) t 

(returns 9)