Question

For example, I have a table name test_table and has a column named column_A which has values:

A_1
A_2
A_3
A1
A2
A3
B_1
B_2
B_3
B1
B2
B3

If i want to select all the data has A_ as the beginning, i can use escape \ like:

select * from test_table where column_A like 'A\_*' escape '\';

so that _ not treated as a single character wildcard. i can get A_1, A_2 and A_3.

How should i do when i want use this in Between and operator? like

select * from test_table where column_A between 'A_\*' and 'B_\*' 

i tried the above one, it didn’t escape the _. if i add a escape right after condition like

select * from test_table 
 where column_A between 'A_\*' escape '\' and 'B_\*' escape '\'

or

select * from test_table 
 where column_A between 'A_\*' and 'B_\*' escape '\'

i got a syntax error.

Answer 1

BETWEEN doesn’t seem to permit escaping of wildcards using that syntax; I assume you’re getting ORA-00933: SQL command not properly ended? (Always useful to actually state the error you’re seeing). It does though allow the alternative syntax:

select * from test_table
where column_A between 'A[_]%' and 'B[_]%';

Edit Actually although the syntax is allowed, it isn’t doing anything; BETWEEN isn’t treating _ as a wildcard anyway, though it does treat % as one.

Edit 2 As @Allan pointed out, it really isn’t treating % as a wildcard, that’s just how the character ordering works.

I’m not sure that’s what you actually want though, as it will give you A_1, A_2, A_3, B1, B2, B3 (at least with my NLS parameters).

If what you actually want is A_1, A_2, A_3, B_1, B_2, B_3 then you can use REGEXP_LIKE instead, something like:

select * from test_table
where regexp_like(column_A, '^([AB])_';

(though I’ll happily defer to others on the best way to construct that).