Question:
What is the purpose of % and _ (underscore) characters used with LIKE operator in SQL?
What is the purpose of % and _ (underscore) characters used with LIKE operator in SQL?
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Use % to match any number of characters and _ to match exactly one character in SQL.
Updated On: Jul 14, 2025
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Solution and Explanation
In SQL, the LIKE operator is used in the WHERE clause to search for a specified pattern in a column.
To make pattern matching flexible, two wildcard characters are used with LIKE:
(i) % (Percent sign): Represents zero, one, or many characters.
For example: SELECT * FROM employees WHERE name LIKE 'R%';
This will match any name starting with the letter 'R', such as Rahul, Rina, or Robert.
(ii) _ (Underscore): Represents exactly one character.
For example: SELECT * FROM users WHERE code LIKE 'A_1';
This matches values like A01, AB1, or AZ1.
These wildcards help in filtering records based on partial matches rather than exact strings.
To make pattern matching flexible, two wildcard characters are used with LIKE:
(i) % (Percent sign): Represents zero, one, or many characters.
For example: SELECT * FROM employees WHERE name LIKE 'R%';
This will match any name starting with the letter 'R', such as Rahul, Rina, or Robert.
(ii) _ (Underscore): Represents exactly one character.
For example: SELECT * FROM users WHERE code LIKE 'A_1';
This matches values like A01, AB1, or AZ1.
These wildcards help in filtering records based on partial matches rather than exact strings.
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