Home > Ask the Oracle Database / Applications Experts > SQL Questions & Answers > IN list or series of OR conditions?
Ask The Oracle Expert: Questions & Answers
EMAIL THIS

IN list or series of OR conditions?

Rudy Limeback EXPERT RESPONSE FROM: Rudy Limeback

Pose a Question
Other Oracle Categories
Meet all Oracle Experts
Become an Expert for this site


Oracle tips, scripts, and expert advice
Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us    Add to Google


>
QUESTION POSED ON: 19 June 2008
Can you please tell me the advantage of using IN clause where the same can be done using the OR clause? For example:

select * from a 
where a.id in ('1','2','3')

or

select * from a 
where a.id='1'
or a.id='2'
or a.id='3'

Which one is advisable?


Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us    Add to Google


RELATED CONTENT
SQL
How to check SQL query construction with the Mimer Validator
Using the SQL GROUP BY clause for counting combinations
How to use an SQL CASE expression
How to sort an SQL UNION query with special ORDER BY sequence
How to use string functions to make an SQL join
An SQL solution for a customer order homework problem
How to use SQL's POSITION function with substrings
Using SQL date functions to get totals for last three days
Using CASE in the SQL ORDER BY clause
What's the difference between an SQL inner join and equijoin?

Oracle development languages
How to check SQL query construction with the Mimer Validator
Understanding SQL string functions
The top advice from Oracle experts in 2008
What's the difference between an SQL inner join and equijoin?
Using LEFT OUTER JOIN query to get zero row counts in SQL
How to return multiple values for THEN clause in an SQL CASE expression
Can I concatenate row values in SQL?
Should I try to avoid a LEFT OUTER JOIN in SQL?
Tips for derived tables in SQL and using FULL OUTER JOINs
How to write an SQL query for two foreign keys to the same table

RELATED RESOURCES
2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems
Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts
Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary


The IN list is better, because it is more compact. Readability of SQL is important, as you will learn when you go back to a complex query that you wrote some time ago and try to figure out what it's doing.

select * 
  from a 
 where a.id in ( 1,2,3 )

Please note that if your id column is numeric, you should not enclose the values in quotes, which makes them strings. Only MySQL performs the implicit conversion back to numeric; all other major database systems will give you a syntax error. Of course, if your id column is actually a character column, then you would want to compare it to strings... but then, why would the character values be numbers?



Search and Browse the Expert Answer Center
Search and browse more than 25,000 question and answer pairs from more than 250 TechTarget industry experts.
Browse our Expert Advice



Oracle White Papers: Fusion Middleware
HomeNewsTopicsTipsAsk the ExpertsMultimediaWhite PapersProductsBlogs
About Us  |  Contact Us  |  For Advertisers  |  For Business Partners  |  Site Index  |  RSS
SEARCH 
TechTarget provides technology professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective purchase decisions and managing their organizations' technology projects - with its network of technology-specific websites, events and online magazines.

TechTarget Corporate Web Site  |  Media Kits  |  Site Map




All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2003 - 2009, TechTarget | Read our Privacy Policy 		  TechTarget - The IT Media ROI Experts