The SQL LIKE Operator
The SQL LIKE Operator
The LIKE operator is used in a WHERE clause to search for a specified pattern in a column.
There are two wildcards often used in conjunction with the LIKE operator:
- % - The percent sign represents zero, one, or multiple characters
- _ - The underscore represents a single character
The percent sign and the underscore can also be used in combinations!
LIKE Syntax
SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
WHERE columnN LIKE pattern;
Here are some examples showing different LIKE operators with '%' and '_' wildcards:
| LIKE Operator | Description |
|---|---|
| WHERE CustomerName LIKE 'a%' | Finds any values that start with "a" |
| WHERE CustomerName LIKE '%a' | Finds any values that end with "a" |
| WHERE CustomerName LIKE '%or%' | Finds any values that have "or" in any position |
| WHERE CustomerName LIKE '_r%' | Finds any values that have "r" in the second position |
| WHERE CustomerName LIKE 'a_%' | Finds any values that start with "a" and are at least 2 characters in length |
| WHERE CustomerName LIKE 'a__%' | Finds any values that start with "a" and are at least 3 characters in length |
| WHERE ContactName LIKE 'a%o' | Finds any values that start with "a" and ends with "o" |
SQL LIKE Examples
The following SQL statement selects all customers with a CustomerName starting with "a":
Example
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerName LIKE 'a%';
The following SQL statement selects all customers with a CustomerName ending with "a":
Example
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerName LIKE '%a';
The following SQL statement selects all customers with a CustomerName that have "or" in any position:
Example
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerName LIKE '%or%';
The following SQL statement selects all customers with a CustomerName that have "r" in the second position:
Example
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerName LIKE '_r%';
The following SQL statement selects all customers with a CustomerName that starts with "a" and are at least 3 characters in length:
Example
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerName LIKE 'a__%';
The following SQL statement selects all customers with a ContactName that starts with "a" and ends with "o":
Example
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE ContactName LIKE 'a%o';
The following SQL statement selects all customers with a CustomerName that does NOT start with "a":
Example
SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerName NOT LIKE 'a%';