What To Perform Pattern Match with the LIKE Operator in SQL Server Transact-SQL?

Pattern match is a very important operation for search records base on character string columns. SQL Server 2005 offers the LIKE operator to perform pattern match operations in two formats:

target_string LIKE pattern
-- Returns TRUE 
   if the target string matches the pattern

target_string NOT LIKE pattern
-- Returns TRUE 
   if the target string does not match the pattern

Pattern match is a powerful operation. But you need to remember several rules:

• Pattern may contain predefined wildcard characters, similar to Unix Regular Expressions. But they are not the same.
• '%' is a wildcard character that matches any string of zero or more characters.
• '_' is a wildcard character that matches any single character.
• '_' is a wildcard character that matches any single character.
• '[abc]' is a wildcard character that matches any character listed inside the brackets.
• '[a-c]' is a wildcard character that matches any character in the range defined in the brackets.
• '[^abc]' is a wildcard character that matches any character not listed inside the brackets.
• '[^a-c]' is a wildcard character that matches any character not in the range defined in the brackets.

Here is a simple example of LIKE operator:

SELECT CASE WHEN 
      'FYIcenter.com' LIKE 'FYI%'
   THEN 'Pattern matched.'
   ELSE 'Pattern not matched.'
   END;
GO
Pattern matched.

⇒ Using Wildcard Characters in LIKE Operations in SQL Server

⇐ IN - Testing Value in a Value List in SQL Server

⇑ Boolean Values and Logical Operations in SQL Server Transact-SQL

⇑⇑ SQL Server Transact-SQL Tutorials