Question

Is it possible in a single SQL statement to do the following:

Use a subset of telephone numbers in a prompt, for example 8001231000-8001239999. Then query my database that has phone numbers in it, and return which phone numbers in the original subset are NOT in my database? My db is Oracle 10g.

Basically instead of bringing back which phone numbers ARE between 8001231000-8001239999, I want to know which phone numbers between 8001231000-8001239999 are NOT in my database.

Answer 1

Assuming that the phone number is a NUMBER, you can generate the list of all phone numbers in a particular range

 SELECT level - 1 + 8001231000
   FROM dual
CONNECT BY level <= 8001239999-8001231000+1

You can then join this list of all the phone numbers in the range to your actual table of phone numbers. Something like

WITH all_numbers AS (
  SELECT level - 1 + 8001231000 phone_number
    FROM dual
 CONNECT BY level <= 8001239999-8001231000+1
)
SELECT *
  FROM all_numbers a
 WHERE NOT EXISTS(
    SELECT 1
      FROM phone_numbers p
     WHERE a.phone_number = p.phone_number)