How to Use LIKE in SQL

Do you need to find a specific value in your database? The LIKE operator in SQL can help you do just that! This operator allows you to search for a specific pattern in your data, making it a powerful tool for finding the information you need.

The Solution

The LIKE operator is used to search for a specific pattern in a column. It takes two arguments: a pattern and a column. The pattern is a string of characters that you want to search for, and the column is the column in your database that you want to search. For example, if you wanted to search for the string John in the name column of your database, you would use the following query:

SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE name LIKE 'John';

This query would return all rows in the table where the name column contains the string John.

Examples

Let's look at a few examples of how this operator can be used. Suppose you have a table called users with the following data:

If you wanted to find all users whose name starts with J, you would use the following query:

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

This query would return the following two rows:

Additional Info

The LIKE operator is supported by most major databases, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server. However, the syntax may vary slightly depending on the database you are using. For more information, check out the documentation for your particular database. 🤓Do you need to find a specific value in your database? The LIKE operator in SQL can help you do just that! This operator allows you to search for a specific pattern in your data, making it a powerful tool for finding the information you need.