SQL text before the Nth match?

Since you said "quick and dirty", I'm assuming that this very quick and very dirty solution won't receive a bunch of down votes. The SQL below uses multiple SUBSTRING() functions to find the third slash:

DECLARE @str VARCHAR(50)SET @str = '/one/two/three/whatever/testing'SELECT SUBSTRING(@str, 0, CHARINDEX('/', @str, CHARINDEX('/', @str, CHARINDEX('/', @str, CHARINDEX('/', @str, 0) + 1) + 1) + 1))

You can see a working example here.

Try adding the function

/*Example:SELECT dbo.CHARINDEX2('a', 'abbabba', 3)returns the location of the third occurrence of 'a'which is 7*/CREATE FUNCTION CHARINDEX2(    @TargetStr varchar(8000),     @SearchedStr varchar(8000),     @Occurrence int)RETURNS intASBEGIN    DECLARE @pos INT, @counter INT, @ret INT    set @pos = CHARINDEX(@TargetStr, @SearchedStr)    set @counter = 1    if @Occurrence = 1 set @ret = @pos    else    begin        while (@counter < @Occurrence)        begin            select @ret = CHARINDEX(@TargetStr, @SearchedStr, @pos + 1)            set @counter = @counter + 1            set @pos = @ret        end    end    RETURN(@ret)end

Then reference the function as such...

SELECT SUBSTRING('/one/two/three/whatever/testing', 0, dbo.CHARINDEX2('/', '/one/two/three/whatever/testing', 3))

Check out an article here for a better look :)

CREATE FUNCTION dbo.CharIndex2 (@expressionToFind VARCHAR(MAX), @expressionToSearch VARCHAR(MAX), @instance INT)    RETURNS INTBEGIN    DECLARE @Position INT    DECLARE @i INT = 1    WHILE @i <= @instance    BEGIN        SET @Position = CHARINDEX(@expressionToFind,@expressionToSearch,COALESCE(@Position+1,1))        SET @i += 1    END    RETURN @PositionENDGO