Explain the usage of the LIKE operator in SQL for pattern matching.
Explain the usage of the LIKE operator in SQL for pattern matching.
378
04-Jul-2023
Updated on 05-Jul-2023
Aryan Kumar
05-Jul-2023Sure. The LIKE operator in SQL is used to match patterns in strings. The LIKE operator takes a pattern as its argument, and returns all rows where the value of the column matches the pattern.
The LIKE operator has the following syntax:
SQL
The
patterncan be any string, including literal values, column names, or function calls. Thepatterncan also contain wildcard characters, which are characters that match any number of characters.The most common wildcard characters are:
%: Matches zero or more characters._: Matches exactly one character.Here is an example of how the LIKE operator can be used:
SQL
This query will select the
customer_namecolumn from thecustomerstable. TheLIKEoperator will be used to match the pattern%Smith%. This pattern will match any string that contains the wordSmith.Here is another example of how the LIKE operator can be used:
SQL
This query will select the
product_namecolumn from theproductstable. TheLIKEoperator will be used to match the patternA%C. This pattern will match any string that starts with the letterAand ends with the letterC.The LIKE operator can be used in a variety of ways to match patterns in strings in SQL. It is a powerful tool that can be used to filter data, or to control the flow of a query.
Here are some other examples of how the LIKE operator can be used:
The LIKE operator is a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of ways to match patterns in strings in SQL.