The LIKE operator is used in a WHERE clause to search for a specified pattern in a column.
There are two wildcards often used in conjunction with the LIKE operator:
- The percent sign (%) represents zero, one, or multiple characters
- The underscore sign (_) represents one, single character
Note: MS Access uses an asterisk (*) instead of the percent sign (%), and a question mark (?) instead of the underscore (_).
The percent sign and the underscore can also be used in combinations!
LIKE Syntax
SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
WHERE columnN LIKE pattern;
FROM table_name
WHERE columnN LIKE pattern;
Tip: You can also combine any number of conditions using AND or OR operators.
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 2 characters in length |
| 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" |
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