LIKE & Wildcards

LIKE & Wildcards

The LIKE operator searches for a pattern in a text column. It works with wildcard characters.

The % wildcard (any characters)

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerName LIKE 'A%';

Finds names that start with A ("Alfreds", "Ana", "Antonio", ...).

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerName LIKE '%a';

Finds names that end with a.

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerName LIKE '%or%';

Finds names that contain "or" anywhere.

The _ wildcard (exactly one character)

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE City LIKE '_ondon';

Finds "London" (any single character followed by "ondon").

Start and end at the same time

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE CustomerName LIKE 'A%y';

Starts with A and ends with y.

NOT LIKE

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE City NOT LIKE 'B%';

Cities that do not start with B.

Wildcard reference

TL;DR

• LIKE searches for patterns.
• % matches any number of characters.
• _ matches exactly one character.
• Combine them and use NOT LIKE to exclude.