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SQLite LIKE Clause/Condition

SQLite LIKE clause is a SQL operator used for comparing a text value to a pattern value. It is used in the WHERE clause of an SQL statement to filter the data based on patterns. It is a powerful tool for selecting specific data from a database that matches a specified pattern.

Syntax

The syntax of the SQLite LIKE clause is as follows:

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

The pattern value is a string that uses wildcards to match one or more characters. The two most common wildcards used with the LIKE operator are the "%"(percent) and ""(underscore) sign. With "%", it matches any zero or more characters, and with "", it matches one character.

Example

Suppose we have a table called employees with the following columns: id, name, age, and address. We want to select all the employees whose name starts with the letter "J". 

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

Output

The output of the SELECT statement would be all the employees whose names start with the letter "J".

id | name | age | address
-------------------------
1  | John | 30  | New York
3  | Jack | 25  | London

Explanation

In the example above, we use the SQLite LIKE clause to select employees whose name starts with the letter "J". We use the wildcard character "%" after the letter "J" to search for all names that have a "J" at the beginning.

Use

SQLite LIKE clause is useful when you want to search for data that matches a specific pattern, for example, searching for employees with the same starting letter in their names, or searching for addresses that contain specific words.

Important Points

  • The SQLite LIKE clause is case-sensitive.
  • The "%" wildcard character can be used to match any zero or more characters.
  • The "_" wildcard character can be used to match one character.
  • Use escape characters (e.g., "", "_", "%") to include the wildcard characters in a search pattern.
  • Avoid using the SQLite LIKE clause with large datasets as it can have a negative impact on query performance.

Summary

In this tutorial, we learned about the SQLite LIKE clause, which is used to search for data that matches a specific pattern. We saw how to use wildcards to match any zero or more characters with the "%" wildcard and match one character with the "_" wildcard. We also learned how to use escape characters to include special characters in a search pattern. The SQLite LIKE clause is a powerful tool for filtering data in an SQL statement based on a specific pattern.

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