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Development Tools Database Foundations Reading Data from Databases with SQL Querying Tables

Seth Warner
Seth Warner
5,348 Points
Posted by Seth Warner
Seth Warner
5,348 Points

OKay so why exactly would you just not use the % right off the bat..also

if you did not feel like you needed a "wildcard feature"(%), then why even use the Claus/keyword LIKE, and just type it directly as the title. I just don't understand why you would use LIKE without %, seeing that it requires % to really use it. I must be missing the reason to use LIKE without the %("wildcard", option).

1 Answer

Codin - Codesmite
Codin - Codesmite
8,600 Points
Codin - Codesmite
Codin - Codesmite
8,600 Points

= Compares the entire string. LIKE compares one character at a time. As far as I know = is faster and less resource heavy then LIKE.

Another example:

CREATE TABLE #temp (nam [varchar](MAX))
INSERT INTO [#temp] ([nam])
VALUES ('hello')
INSERT INTO [#temp] ([nam])
VALUES ('hello  ')

SELECT * FROM #temp WHERE [nam] = 'hello  '

SELECT * FROM #temp WHERE [nam] LIKE 'hello  '

The first SELECT query will return both rows but the second SELECT query will only return one row. Trailing spaces are significant with LIKE but not with =.