The following entry almost nails it on the head but not quite: How to get the 1st value before delimiter in sql server
Have a column that returns the following: Fruits Apple.Orange.Lemon.Grape
Would like to return: sample output
Unfortunately, I'm quite restricted in terms of functions I can use (https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms174077(v=sql.110).aspx). Cannot call on a combo of replace or parsename, and cannot create a function, so how can I use the substring / charindex solution to arrive at the output above?