String comparison

Question

String comparison

sestell1

SSChampion

Points: 10230
More actions
May 8, 2012 at 8:21 pm

#257679

Comments posted to this topic are about the item String comparison

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 27 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply

Ron McCullough SSC Guru Points: 63877 More actions · Answer 1

Nice question ..... and it teaches something additional ... it teaches one to read definitions as well as the T-SQL very, very closely

If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.

Ron

Please help us, help you -before posting a question please read[/url]
Before posting a performance problem please read[/url]

Koen Verbeeck SSC Guru Points: 259105 More actions · Answer 2

Great question.

Although, the first X returned is not just X but X with 19 spaces. SSMS doesn't really show it that well, but if you copy paste the value you'll see the spaces.

Need an answer? No, you need a question
My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP

Nakul Vachhrajani SSChampion Points: 10294 More actions · Answer 3

Very good question! The question proves that the devil is in the details! The question teaches everyone a lot of things.

Thank-you!

Thanks & Regards,
Nakul Vachhrajani.
http://nakulvachhrajani.com

Follow me on
Twitter: @sqltwins

palotaiarpad SSCertifiable Points: 5617 More actions · Answer 4

A very good question, even if i missed it. 😛

I thought, if the LEN delivers 1, then the LIKE makes the same. For me a bit inconsistent, but good to know how stuff works.

Iulian -207023 SSCertifiable Points: 7639 More actions · Answer 5

Iulian -207023

SSCertifiable

Points: 7639

May 9, 2012 at 12:50 am

#1484896

Nice question, thank you

Iulian

David McKinney SSChampion Points: 10472 More actions · Answer 6

Excellent question. I often come across code such as

IF col1 like col2 (without any wildcards)

and I've often wondered why they didn't just put IF col1=col2. Til today I assumed they were equivalent. (I wonder if those that wrote this code appreciate the nuance.)

Thanks for expanding my knowledge.

Hugo Kornelis SSC Guru Points: 64790 More actions · Answer 7

Nice question!

However, the explanation and reference are slightly incomplete, as they don't explain the behaviour of @a LIKE @b-2 versus @ LIKE @a.

The explanation for that can simply be found in the Books Online article on LIKE, in the "Remarks" section. Link: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms179859.aspx

Hugo Kornelis, SQL Server/Data Platform MVP (2006-2016)
Visit my SQL Server blog: https://sqlserverfast.com/blog/
SQL Server Execution Plan Reference: https://sqlserverfast.com/epr/

ralm Hall of Fame Points: 3156 More actions · Answer 8

Nice question.

When we print the variables we can see the padded space in @a.

PRINT @a

PRINT @b-2

PRINT 'A:'+@A + 'B:'+ @b-2+':'

^{[font="Verdana"]Regards,
Rals[/font].}

Gobikannan SSCrazy Points: 2735 More actions · Answer 9

Gobikannan

SSCrazy

Points: 2735

May 9, 2012 at 4:44 am

#1484967

Nice question.

-----------------
Gobikannan

TomThomson SSC Guru Points: 104773 More actions · Answer 10

Good question.

It would have been somewhat shocking if I had got this one wrong after writing the 15th April 2010 QotD 😛

Tom

TomThomson SSC Guru Points: 104773 More actions · Answer 11

Hugo Kornelis (5/9/2012)
Nice question!
However, the explanation and reference are slightly incomplete, as they don't explain the behaviour of @a LIKE @b-2 versus @ LIKE @a.
The explanation for that can simply be found in the Books Online article on LIKE, in the "Remarks" section. Link: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms179859.aspx

Actually I think he did explain it - I guess it depends on how you interpret "on the right". I interpret it as meaning "on the right hand side of "LIKE", I guess you must interpret it as "on the right hand side of a string" which is a bit bizarre because if that's what he'd have got it wrong and had two "false" values instead of getting it right and having one. The wording could have been better, but it seems perverse to interpret as implying a different answer from teh one he gave.

Tom

Hugo Kornelis SSC Guru Points: 64790 More actions · Answer 12

L' Eomot Inversé (5/9/2012)
Hugo Kornelis (5/9/2012)
Nice question!
However, the explanation and reference are slightly incomplete, as they don't explain the behaviour of @a LIKE @b-2 versus @ LIKE @a.
The explanation for that can simply be found in the Books Online article on LIKE, in the "Remarks" section. Link: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms179859.aspx
Actually I think he did explain it - I guess it depends on how you interpret "on the right". I interpret it as meaning "on the right hand side of "LIKE", I guess you must interpret it as "on the right hand side of a string" which is a bit bizarre because if that's what he'd have got it wrong and had two "false" values instead of getting it right and having one. The wording could have been better, but it seems perverse to interpret as implying a different answer from teh one he gave.

You are right, Tom. On the right can only be meant to apply to he LIKE and not to the string, as that is already implied by the word "trailing". I didn't read the explanation carrefully enough.

Hugo Kornelis, SQL Server/Data Platform MVP (2006-2016)
Visit my SQL Server blog: https://sqlserverfast.com/blog/
SQL Server Execution Plan Reference: https://sqlserverfast.com/epr/

rfr.ferrari SSCertifiable Points: 6879 More actions · Answer 13

Nice question!!!!

thanks!!!!

[font="Times New Roman"]rfr.ferrari[/font]
DBA - SQL Server 2008
MCITP | MCTS

remember is live or suffer twice!
the period you fastest growing is the most difficult period of your life!

sjimmo SSChampion Points: 11139 More actions · Answer 14

Nice question - almost missed it. Re-Review of code caused me to change my answer at the last minute. 🙂

Steve Jimmo
Sr DBA
“If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan