SQL query for Records containing a Character

  • Thread starter WWGD
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In summary, when searching for a specific character in a field, you can use the wildcard % to indicate any number of characters before, after, or in between the desired character. This allows you to cover all possible cases and retrieve the desired records.
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WWGD
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Hi All,
I am trying to do an SQL query for records containing a certain character, say, c , in 'field'

I think if the character c is at the beginning, we use :

Select ... from table
where field like 'c % ' , where % is a wildcard.

Similar for cases where the character is at the end, i.e., we would use :

Select ... from table
where field like '% c '.

But if the character c was somewhere in the middle , would we use :

Select ... from table
where field like '% c % ' ?

EDIT: I assume the last choice, '% c % ' covers all cases, since % may stand for an empty string.
Is this correct?
Thanks.
 
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Yes, everything you have said is correct.
 
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Related to SQL query for Records containing a Character

What is an SQL query for records containing a specific character?

In SQL, the LIKE operator can be used to search for records containing a specific character. The query would look like this: SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE column_name LIKE '%character%'. The % symbols act as wildcards, allowing for any number of characters before and after the specified character.

Can an SQL query search for multiple characters in a record?

Yes, the LIKE operator can also be used to search for multiple characters in a record. For example, SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE column_name LIKE '%abc%' would return all records containing the characters "abc" in the specified column.

How do I search for a specific character in a specific position within a record?

The LIKE operator can be combined with the _ symbol to search for a specific character in a specific position. For example, SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE column_name LIKE 'a__b' would return all records where the specified column starts with "a" and ends with "b", with two characters in between.

Can an SQL query search for records containing a specific character regardless of capitalization?

Yes, the LIKE operator is case-insensitive, meaning it will search for records containing the specified character regardless of capitalization. To make the query case-sensitive, the BINARY keyword can be added after the LIKE operator.

Are there any other SQL operators that can be used to search for records containing a specific character?

Yes, the REGEXP operator can also be used to search for records containing a specific character or pattern. The syntax is SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE column_name REGEXP 'character|pattern', where | acts as an "or" operator and pattern can include regular expressions.

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