Here are a few title options, keeping in mind the need for a question format and relevance to the content: * When to Use = vs. LIKE in MySQL Queries: A Comparison * MySQL: = for Exact Matches or LIKE

LIKE vs. = in MySQL

When writing MySQL queries, you may encounter two operators for matching values: = (equal to) and LIKE (like). While they may seem similar, they have distinct uses and behavior.

= (Equal To)

The = operator performs an exact match. It checks if the value in the expression column matches the value specified in the pattern. For example:

SELECT foo FROM bar WHERE foobar = '$foo';

If the foobar column has the value '$foo', the row will be selected. Otherwise, it will be excluded.

LIKE (Like)

In contrast, the LIKE operator performs wildcard matching. It uses the % symbol to represent multiple characters and _ to represent a single character. By default, is used as the escape character.

SELECT foo FROM bar WHERE foobar LIKE '%$foo%';

This query will match any row where the foobar column contains the value $foo in any position. The % wildcard allows for additional characters before or after $foo.

Key Differences

• Exactness: = performs exact matching, while LIKE allows wildcard matches.
• Escape Character: LIKE supports an escape character to avoid matching wildcards.
• NOT LIKE: LIKE can be used with NOT to exclude matches.

Example

Consider the following table:

| id | foobar |
|-----|--------|
| 1   | foo     |
| 2   | foobar  |
| 3   | fooextra|

• The query SELECT foo FROM bar WHERE foobar = 'foo' will return only row 1.
• The query SELECT foo FROM bar WHERE foobar LIKE 'foo%' will return rows 1, 2, and 3.
• The query SELECT foo FROM bar WHERE foobar NOT LIKE 'foo%' will return an empty set.

In summary, use = for exact matches and LIKE for wildcard matches in MySQL queries. Understanding these operators is crucial for retrieving data precisely and efficiently.

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