---
title: "Explain the usage of the LIKE operator in SQL for pattern matching."  
description: "Explain the usage of the LIKE operator in SQL for pattern matching."  
author: "Revati S Misra"  
published: 2023-07-04  
updated: 2023-07-05  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/158944/explain-the-usage-of-the-like-operator-in-sql-for-pattern-matching  
category: "mssql server"  
tags: ["mssql server", "sql server", "sql"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# Explain the usage of the LIKE operator in SQL for pattern matching.

[Explain the usage](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/158941/explain-the-usage-and-difference-between-the-and-and-or-operators-in-sql) of the LIKE [operator in SQL](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/160543/how-to-filter-records-using-like-operator-in-sql-server) for [pattern matching](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/1865/pattern-matching-in-erlang).

## Replies

### Reply by Aryan Kumar

Sure. The LIKE [operator](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/144/union-intersection-and-except-operator-in-sql-server) in [SQL](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/13115/types-of-keys-in-sql-or-oracle-database) is used to match patterns in strings. The LIKE operator takes a [pattern](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/2314/what-is-the-mvp-and-mvc-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

```plaintext
column_name LIKE pattern;
```

The `pattern` can be any string, including literal values, column names, or function calls. The `pattern` can 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

```plaintext
SELECT customer_name
FROM customers
WHERE customer_name LIKE '%Smith%';
```

This query will select the `customer_name` column from the `customers` table. The `LIKE` operator will be used to match the pattern `%Smith%`. This pattern will match any string that contains the word `Smith`.

Here is another example of how the LIKE operator can be used:

SQL

```plaintext
SELECT product_name
FROM products
WHERE product_name LIKE 'A%C';
```

This query will select the `product_name` column from the `products` table. The `LIKE` operator will be used to match the pattern `A%C`. This pattern will match any string that starts with the letter `A` and ends with the letter `C`.

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:

- To match customers by their last name.
- To match products by their name.
- To match orders by their date.
- To match employees by their salary.

The LIKE operator is a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of ways to match patterns in strings in SQL.


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/158944/explain-the-usage-of-the-like-operator-in-sql-for-pattern-matching

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