SUBSTRING срещу LEFT в SQL SERVER

Няма никаква разлика между left и substring защото left се превежда в substring в плана за изпълнение.

Например:

select substring(col, 1, 2),
       left(col, 3)
from YourTable

ще изглежда така в плана за изпълнение

<DefinedValue>
  <ColumnReference Column="Expr1004" />
  <ScalarOperator ScalarString="substring([col],(1),(2))">
    <Intrinsic FunctionName="substring">
      <ScalarOperator>
        <Identifier>
          <ColumnReference Column="col" />
        </Identifier>
      </ScalarOperator>
      <ScalarOperator>
        <Const ConstValue="(1)" />
      </ScalarOperator>
      <ScalarOperator>
        <Const ConstValue="(2)" />
      </ScalarOperator>
    </Intrinsic>
  </ScalarOperator>
</DefinedValue>
<DefinedValue>
  <ColumnReference Column="Expr1005" />
  <ScalarOperator ScalarString="substring([col],(1),(3))">
    <Intrinsic FunctionName="substring">
      <ScalarOperator>
        <Identifier>
          <ColumnReference Column="col" />
        </Identifier>
      </ScalarOperator>
      <ScalarOperator>
        <Const ConstValue="(1)" />
      </ScalarOperator>
      <ScalarOperator>
        <Const ConstValue="(3)" />
      </ScalarOperator>
    </Intrinsic>
  </ScalarOperator>
</DefinedValue>