Can I do a right pad in a Select Statement

Hello, I need to do a RPAD on the following statement, but it does not seem to work in a the Select or Where Clause. Can a RightPad be use in the following way?
Hello, I need to do a RPAD on the following statement, but it does not seem to work in a the Select or Where Clause.
Can a RightPad be use in the following way?
v_year = '2024';

for (Candidate_Recs__c firstAssign : recsToProcess) {
for (Contact seqAssign : [ Select MIN(lastName.RightPad(40, ' ') +
firstName.RightPad(40, ' ') +
middleName.RightPad(40, ' ') )
, MIN(contact.pre_code)
FROM
Contact
WHERE
lastName.RightPad(40, ' ') +
firstName.RightPad(40, ' ') +
middleName.RightPad(40, ' ') +
>
firstAssign.lastName.RightPad(40, ' ') +
firstAssign.firstName.RightPad(40, ' ') +
firstAssign.MiddleNameRightPad(40, ' ') +
AND Contact.status IN ('AX', 'TQ', 'RO')
AND Contact.class_started = :v_class_yr
AND Contact.pre_code IS NOT NULL
AND Contact.employee_nbr IS NOT NULL]) {

//Do Something
}
}
Thanks for any help in advance.

• This discussion was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by  Angela Wright.
• This discussion was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by  Angela Wright.