How to query using special characters in Oracle

Here is how to query an Oracle database with special characters. First, create this test table:


Create Table A

( CO VARCHAR2(6))



Insert into A

values('12%345');



Insert into A

values('12%456');



Insert into A

values('123456');

If we want to fetch only those records that begin with '12%' and if we issue the following SQL query, it will return all the records irrespective of "%". For example:


  Select co from A

  where co like '12%%';

This query will return the following records:


  CO

  ======

  12%345

  12%456

  123456

But we only want two records in the above example, like this:


  CO

  ======

  12%345

  12%456

So, to get these results, we have to use escape:


select co from a

where co like '12\%%' escape '\';

This will return only those records that begin with "12%":


  CO

  ======

  12%345

  12%456

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This was first published in June 2002

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