IN vs. ANY in PostgreSQL: When Should You Use Which Operator?

PostgreSQL’s IN and ANY operators: when to use which?

The IN and ANY operators in PostgreSQL function similarly, but they are different constructs. Logically, both constructs are equivalent to using the = ANY operator on a set of values. However, syntax differences and versatility set them apart.

Grammar Variations

IN accepts two variations: it accepts a collection or a comma-separated list of values. On the other hand, ANY also accepts two variants: it accepts a collection or an array (a true array type).

Performance and Optimization

Providing sets as arguments to IN and ANY scales better when working with large numbers of values. How indexes are used also varies based on structure and context.

ANY’S VERSATILITY

ANY provides greater versatility by being compatible with various operators besides =. For example, using ANY with LIKE allows pattern matching on an array of values.

Invert and Exclude

To find rows whose values ​​are not present in the array, you can use IN, you can use = ALL, the = ALL array literal, or the negated ANY structure (NOT (value = ANY (array))). By default, rows containing NULL values ​​are excluded, but they can be included by checking whether the expression (value = ANY (array)) is false.

Conclusion

While both IN and ANY can accomplish similar tasks, their syntax variations and versatility make them suitable for different scenarios. ANY offers greater flexibility and can handle more complex matching operations, making it the first choice for many use cases.

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