Amazon Redshift will no longer support the creation of new Python UDFs starting Patch 198. Existing Python UDFs will continue to function until June 30, 2026. For more information, see the [ blog post ](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/big-data/amazon-redshift-python-user-defined-functions-will-reach-end-of-support-after-june-30-2026/). 

# ST\$1StartPoint
<a name="ST_StartPoint-function"></a>

ST\$1StartPoint returns the first point of an input linestring. The spatial reference system identifier (SRID) value of the result is the same as that of the input geometry. The dimension of the returned geometry is the same as that of the input geometry.

## Syntax
<a name="ST_StartPoint-function-syntax"></a>

```
ST_StartPoint(geom)
```

## Arguments
<a name="ST_StartPoint-function-arguments"></a>

 *geom*   
A value of data type `GEOMETRY` or an expression that evaluates to a `GEOMETRY` type. The subtype must be `LINESTRING`. 

## Return type
<a name="ST_StartPoint-function-return"></a>

`GEOMETRY` 

If *geom* is null, then null is returned. 

If *geom* is empty, then null is returned. 

If *geom* isn't a `LINESTRING`, then null is returned. 

## Examples
<a name="ST_StartPoint-function-examples"></a>

The following SQL returns an extended well-known text (EWKT) representation of a four-point `LINESTRING` to a `GEOMETRY` object and returns the start point of the linestring. 

```
SELECT ST_AsEWKT(ST_StartPoint(ST_GeomFromText('LINESTRING(0 0,10 0,10 10,5 5,0 5)',4326)));
```

```
st_asewkt
-------------
 SRID=4326;POINT(0 0)
```