The Wildcard in a WHERE Clause is Useful When…

What is a Wildcard?

A wildcard is a special character that can be used in a search query to stand in for one or more characters. In a WHERE clause, wildcards can help you search for data that matches certain patterns or criteria. For example, if you wanted to find records with a certain string of text, but you weren’t sure of the exact spelling, you could use a wildcard to find the records you’re looking for.

When is a Wildcard Useful?

A wildcard can be useful when you’re not sure of the exact spelling of a word or when you’re looking for records that match a certain pattern. For example, if you wanted to find all records that contain the word “apple”, but you weren’t sure if the spelling was “apple” or “appel”, you could use the wildcard “*” to search for both spellings. The wildcard would return records that contain both “apple” and “appel”.

Types of Wildcards

There are two types of wildcards: the asterisk (*) and the question mark (?). The asterisk is used to represent one or more characters, while the question mark is used to represent a single character. For example, if you wanted to find all records that contain the word “apple”, but you weren’t sure of the exact spelling, you could use the wildcard “*” to search for both spellings. The wildcard would return records that contain both “apple” and “appel”.

Using Wildcards in a WHERE Clause

Using a wildcard in a WHERE clause is a great way to quickly find the data you’re looking for. For example, if you wanted to find all records that contain the word “apple”, but you weren’t sure of the exact spelling, you could use the wildcard “*” to search for both spellings. The wildcard would return records that contain both “apple” and “appel”. Additionally, you could use the wildcard to search for records that contain certain patterns. For example, if you wanted to find all records that contain the words “apple”, “orange”, and “banana”, you could use the wildcard “*apple*orange*banana*” to quickly find those records.

Conclusion

The wildcard in a WHERE clause is a powerful tool that can be used to quickly and easily find records that match certain criteria. Whether you’re looking for records that contain a certain string of text or records that match a certain pattern, a wildcard can help you quickly find the data you’re looking for. So the next time you’re searching for data, consider using a wildcard in your WHERE clause.