SQL Server LIKE Operator

The LIKE operator in SQL Server is used to search for a specified pattern in a column. It is commonly used in the WHERE clause with wildcard characters to match patterns within string data. This guide will cover the syntax, examples, output, explanations, use cases, important points, and a summary of using the LIKE operator in SQL Server.

Syntax

SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
WHERE column_name LIKE pattern;

Example

Consider a table named products with a column named product_name. We want to retrieve products whose names start with the letter 'A'.

SELECT product_id, product_name
FROM products
WHERE product_name LIKE 'A%';

Output

The output will display the product IDs and names for products whose names start with 'A'.

| product_id | product_name   |
|------------|-----------------|
| 101        | Apple iPhone    |
| 102        | Acer Laptop     |
| 103        | Asus Monitor    |

Explanation

• The LIKE operator is used with the pattern 'A%' to match product names that start with the letter 'A'.
• The '%' wildcard represents any sequence of characters.

Use

The LIKE operator in SQL Server is used for:

• Searching for patterns within string data.
• Filtering rows based on partial matches or specific character sequences.
• Performing text-based searches and comparisons.

Important Points

• The '%' wildcard represents zero or more characters.
• The '_' wildcard represents a single character.
• Patterns can be combined with wildcards to create complex search criteria.

Summary

The LIKE operator in SQL Server is a powerful tool for searching and filtering data based on specific patterns within string columns. It provides flexibility in constructing queries to retrieve records that match a particular character sequence. Understanding how to use the LIKE operator, along with wildcard characters, is essential for performing efficient and accurate text-based searches in SQL Server databases.