MySQL LIKE Operator
The LIKE operator is used in a WHERE clause to search for a specified pattern in a column.
There are % wildcards often used in conjunction with the LIKE operator:
- % – The percent sign represents zero, one, or multiple characters
- _ – The underscore represents a single character
SELECT column1, column2, … FROM table_name WHERE columnN LIKE pattern;
Here are some examples showing different LIKE operators with ‘%’ and ‘_’ wildcards:
| LIKE Operator | Description |
|---|---|
| WHERE CustomerName LIKE ‘a%’ | Finds any values that start with “a” |
| WHERE CustomerName LIKE ‘%a’ | Finds any values that end with “a” |
| WHERE CustomerName LIKE ‘%or%’ | Finds any values that have “or” in any position |
| WHERE CustomerName LIKE ‘_r%’ | Finds any values that have “r” in the second position |
| WHERE CustomerName LIKE ‘a_%_%’ | Finds any values that start with “a” and are at least 3 characters in length |
| WHERE ContactName LIKE ‘a%o’ | Finds any values that start with “a” and ends with “o” |
Example 1:
SELECT * FROM Customers WHERE CustomerName LIKE ‘a%’;
SELECT * FROM Customers WHERE CustomerName LIKE ‘%a’;
SELECT employeeNumber, lastName, firstName FROM employees WHERE lastName LIKE ‘%on’;