I’m dealing with a messy database that forces me to use LIKE conditions a lot. I also use IN statements for better SQL readability. Is there a way to mix these two?
For example, instead of writing:
WHERE column LIKE 'start%'
OR column LIKE '%middle%'
OR column LIKE 'end%'
Could I do something like:
WHERE column MATCH_PATTERNS ('start%', '%middle%', 'end%')
Does any database system have a feature like this? I use SQL Server and Oracle, but I’m curious about other systems too.
I know I could use subqueries, but I’m hoping for a simpler solution. Any ideas?
ooh, that’s an intriguing question! i’ve never thought about combining LIKE and IN before. have you considered using regular expressions? they might offer more flexibility for pattern matching. what kind of data are you working with that requires so much LIKE usage? maybe there’s a different approach we could explore?
hm, interesting idea! i dont think theres a built-in way to do exactly what u want in SQL Server or Oracle. but u could try using a function to simplify ur code. like create a custom function that takes a list of patterns and checks each one. might make ur queries cleaner at least
While there’s no direct equivalent to ‘MATCH_PATTERNS’ in SQL Server or Oracle, you could consider using a combination of CASE statements and wildcard operators to achieve similar functionality. This approach might improve query readability and performance in some cases. For complex pattern matching, you might also explore full-text search capabilities if your database system supports them. These can offer more sophisticated matching options and potentially better performance for large datasets. Remember to test different approaches and analyze their execution plans to ensure optimal performance for your specific use case.