Conditions - wildcards
Values entered when creating filters, or using runtime entry forms, and used with
an operator of like, includes or use wildcard can contain
wildcards to allow for pattern matching.
Acceptable wildcards are dependent on the database being used. This table shows the wildcards that are accepted by Microsoft SQL Server.
| Wildcard | Searches for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| '%' percentage | Any string of zero or more characters |
Mc% searches for all names that begin with the letters Mc (McAlister, McAlpine). % ley will search for all names that end with 'ley' (Riley, Tisley). % od% will search for all names that include the letters od ( Hodges, Bellwood). Note: In SQL Server trailing blanks are ignored.
|
| '_' underscore | Any single character. | __ward searches for all six letter names ending with ward (Haward, Seward). |
| '[ ]' square brackets | Any single character within the specified range, for example '[a-f]', or the specified set, for example '[abcdef]'. | [CK] ars [eo] n searches for all names that begin with C or K, followed by ars, then e or o and end with n (Carsen, Carson, Karsen, Karson). |
| '[^]' square brackets and caret | Any single character not within the specified range, for example '[^a-f]', or the specified set, for example '[^abcdef]'. | M[^a-n]% searches for all names that begin with the letter M and do not have the letters a to n as a second letter (Mortali, Murphy). |