This should get you on the right track:

SELECT * FROM `table` WHERE `field` LIKE '%,'

This is one I wondered about for a very long time. You **should** be able to combine replace() with a regexp,

regexp ',$'

giving you something like

replace(column_name,regexp ',$', '')

but you can't. Regexps only match patterns in rows. The previous will error (and of course, point you to the manual, helpful as a stone.)

So it looks like you'll have to either create a stored procedure or a complicated select and sub select . . . or go the easier, get it done now way in programming. I was feeling rather Perl-y today so we're going "old school" - you'll have to convert this working example to the language of your choice. Perl being poetic as it is, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out (=~ is the substitution operator, equiv. of preg_replace.)

#!/usr/bin/perl 
# 
print "content-type:text/html\n\n"; 
use DBI; 
# 
$db_name = 'ENTER YOUR DB NAME'; 
$db_host = 'localhost'; # or remote host 
$sql_login = ENTER YOUR DB USER'; 
$sql_pass = 'ENTER YOUR DB PASS'; 
$conn_string = "DBI:mysql:$db_name"; 
if ($db_host) { $conn_string .= ":$db_host"; } 
$dbh = DBI->connect("$conn_string",$sql_login,$sql_pass) or print("cannot connect to database"); 
# 
# this is an array = @ has a diff. meaning in Perl 
@lines = ( 
 'this is a line without a comma', 
 'this, line, has, inline, commas', 
 'Here\'s a comma,', 
 'this is one with spaces after it , ', 
 'here\'s another,', 
 'and another,', 
 'we don\'t need no steeking commas.' 
); 
# 
$select = qq|create temporary table replace_test (id int(11) primary key auto_increment, txtval text);|; 
$sth = $dbh->prepare("$select"); 
$rv = $sth->execute or print($dbh->errstr()); 
$sth->finish; 
# 
foreach $line (@lines) { 
 $line =~ s/'+/''/g; # this part is for the internal quotes 
 $select = qq|insert into replace_test (txtval) values ('$line');|; 
 $sth = $dbh->prepare("$select"); 
 $rv = $sth->execute or print($dbh->errstr()); 
 $sth->finish; 
} 
# 
print "replacing:<br>\n"; 
$select = qq|select id,txtval from replace_test;|; 
$sth = $dbh->prepare("$select"); 
$rv = $sth->execute or print($dbh->errstr()); 
while (($id,$val) = $sth->fetchrow_array) { 
 $val =~ s/,\s*$//g; # The actual removal of the end comma 
 $val =~ s/'+/''/g; # this part is for the internal quotes - nothing to do with the task 
 $select = qq|update replace_test set txtval='$val' where id=$id;|; 
 $sth2 = $dbh->prepare("$select"); 
 $rv2 = $sth2->execute or print($dbh->errstr()); 
 $sth2->finish; 
} 
$sth->finish; 
# 
print "Did it work?<br>\n"; 
# 
$select = qq|select txtval from replace_test;|; 
$sth = $dbh->prepare("$select"); 
$rv = $sth->execute or die($dbh->errstr()); 
while ($val = $sth->fetchrow_array) { print "$val<br>\n"; } 
$sth->finish; 
# 
$select = qq|drop table replace_test;|; 
$sth = $dbh->prepare("$select"); 
$rv = $sth->execute or print($dbh->errstr()); 
$sth->finish; 
print "Done.<br>\n"; 

The following is written for MS-SQL. I don't know MySQL, so the function may be a little different. Also, in MS SQL this will only work if the orders field is VARCHAR (substring doesn't work on TEXT fields).

UPDATE Description SET
orders=substring(orders,1,len(orders)-1)
WHERE orders LIKE '%,'

Not clear whether the OP wants to update a table to correct errors, or to retrieve data and display it correctly on the fly. To do the later this will work:

SELECT if(right(trim(ORDERS),1) = ',', substr(ORDERS, 1, length(ORDERS) -1) , ORDERS) from DESCRIPTION

Thank you all for the great help on this query. I was wanting to update a table to fix the errors ie: commas at the end, but I think I will be able to take some of your examples and get this working.

You all are terrific...and really appreciate everyone who took the time to help me out with this.