When working with SQL databases, the LIKE operator is a powerful tool for pattern matching in queries. It allows you to search for a specified pattern within a column’s value. Here’s how you can use the LIKE operator in your SQL SELECT statements.

Syntax

The syntax for using the LIKE operator in a SELECT statement is as follows:

SELECT column_name(s) FROM table_name WHERE column_name LIKE pattern;

• column_name(s): The name(s) of the column(s) you want to retrieve from the table.
• table_name: The name of the table you want to perform the query on.
• column_name: The specific column you want to search for the pattern.
• pattern: The pattern you want to match against the column’s values.

Examples

Let’s explore some examples to understand how the LIKE operator works.

1. Retrieve all records where the name column starts with “John”:

SELECT * FROM employees WHERE name LIKE 'John%';

1. Retrieve all records where the email column contains the domain “gmail.com”:

SELECT * FROM users WHERE email LIKE '%gmail.com%';

1. Retrieve all records where the phone_number column ends with “123”:

SELECT * FROM contacts WHERE phone_number LIKE '%123';

Wildcards

The LIKE operator supports the following wildcards for pattern matching:

• %: Matches any sequence of characters (including zero characters).
• _: Matches any single character.

Here are a few examples to demonstrate the use of wildcards:

• LIKE 'J%': Matches any value that starts with “J”.
• LIKE '%on': Matches any value that ends with “on”.
• LIKE '_o%': Matches any value with “o” as the second character.

Conclusion

The LIKE operator in SQL is a useful tool for performing pattern matching queries. By using wildcards, you can search for specific patterns within column values. Understanding how to use the LIKE operator will enhance your ability to retrieve relevant data from your SQL databases efficiently.

#techblog #sql