wildcard characters for SQL

Source: Internet
Author: User

You can use SQL wildcard characters when searching for data in a database.

SQL wildcard characters

The SQL wildcard can override one or more characters when searching for data in a database.

SQL wildcard characters must be used with the LIKE operator.

In SQL, you can use the following wildcard characters:

wildcard characters Description
% Override one or more characters
_ Replaces only one character
[Charlist] Any single character of the word columns

[^charlist]

Or

[!charlist]

Any single character that is not in the word columns
The original table (used in the example):

Persons table:

City
Id LastName FirstName Address
1 Adams John Oxford Street London
2 Bush George Fifth Avenue New York
3 Carter Thomas Changan Street Beijing

Use a% wildcard character

Example 1

Now, we want to choose from the "Persons" table above for people living in cities that start with "Ne":

We can use the following SELECT statement:

SELECT * from Personswhere city like ' ne% '
Result set: City
Id LastName FirstName Address
2 Bush George Fifth Avenue New York
Example 2

Next, we want to select from the "Persons" table the people who live in cities that contain "Lond":

We can use the following SELECT statement:

SELECT * from Personswhere city like '%lond% '
Result set: City
Id LastName FirstName Address
1 Adams John Oxford Street London

Using _ Wildcard characters

Example 1

Now, we want to select the first character of the name from the "Persons" table above and then the person who is "eorge":

We can use the following SELECT statement:

SELECT * from Personswhere FirstName like ' _eorge '
Result set: City
Id LastName FirstName Address
2 Bush George Fifth Avenue New York
Example 2

Next, we want the last name of the record selected from the "Persons" table to start with "C", then an arbitrary character, then "R", then any character, then "ER":

We can use the following SELECT statement:

SELECT * from Personswhere LastName like ' c_r_er '
Result set: City
Id LastName FirstName Address
3 Carter Thomas Changan Street Beijing

Using [charlist] wildcard characters

Example 1

Now, we would like to select from the "Persons" table above the person who lives in the city that begins with "A" or "L" or "N":

We can use the following SELECT statement:

SELECT * from Personswhere city like ' [aln]% '
Result set: City
Id LastName FirstName Address
1 Adams John Oxford Street London
2 Bush George Fifth Avenue New York
Example 2

Now, we want to select from the "Persons" table above the people who live in cities that do not start with "A" or "L" or "N":

We can use the following SELECT statement:

SELECT * from Personswhere city like ' [! aln]% '
Result set: City
Id LastName FirstName Address
3 Carter Thomas Changan Street Beijing

wildcard characters for SQL

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