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Finding Apostrophes in string and text
For the last two days we have been using wildcard examples from the Beginning SQL Joes 2 Pros Volume 1 book. Today is our last wildcard example. Please take one more look all the records in the Grant table of the JProCo database. Notice GrantID 004 and 005 have a single quote (apostrophe) in the name. See figure below:
What if you want to find grants that have an apostrophe (single quote) in their names such as Norman’s Outreach? Everything inside single quotes after the LIKE evaluates every record to give you your final result set.
The first single quote starts the string and it ends with the second single quote. Everything between the single quotes is part of the search string. Everything before the first single quote and after the second single quote is not part of the search string. The single quote encompasses or delimits the pattern you are searching. A new challenge arises here. The following query produces a syntax error.
--Bad query results in an error. SELECT * FROM [GRANT] WHERE GrantName LIKE '%'%'
'Msg 105, Level 15, State 1, Line 4
Unclosed quotation mark after the character string ‘
The problem lies in the fact that SQL Server assumes the predicate is done after the second single quote. SQL Server sees everything after that second single quote as an error in your SQL code. Your intentions were lost or misunderstood. To forego the special meaning of the single quote, precede it with another single quote. The code and results are seen in the figure below.
Using two single quotes filters your result set for a grant name with an apostrophe. You now have two records with a single quote in your result set. To view all names without a single quote you would simply change the LIKE to NOT LIKE in the WHERE clause.
--Find GrantNames without a single quote SELECT * FROM [GRANT] WHERE GrantName NOT LIKE '%''%'
Note: If you want to setup the sample JProCo database on your system you can watch this video.
Question 3:
Q 3:You want to find all first names that have an apostrophe anywhere in the name. Which SQL code would you use?
- SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘_’% ‘ - SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘_”% ‘ - SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘_[‘]% ‘ - SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%’% ‘ - SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”% ‘ - SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%[‘]% ‘
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Reference: Pinal Dave (https://blog.sqlauthority.com)
191 Comments. Leave new
At first glance I would agree with Ritesh on the answer (option 5) and the explanation for not selecting the other options.
However, there seem to be an extra space in the option 5 after the second wildcard:
SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”% ‘
I presume it is supposed to be:
SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”%’
As explained in the link from MSDN https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/language-elements/percent-character-wildcard-character-s-to-match-transact-sql?view=sql-server-2017
Wildcard – Matches any string of zero or more characters. This wildcard character can be used as either a prefix or a suffix.
A single quote would return the unclosed quotation mark error therefore you require double quotes.
Thanks,
Shivani (USA)
5 is the correct answer. You have to escape the first apostrophe by doubling them up.
Eric (USA)
Answer = 5
5. SELECT * FROM Employee WHERE Firstname like ‘%”% ‘
Country = USA
Correct Answer 5 : SELECT * FROM Employee WHERE Firstname like ‘%”% ‘
Option 5 is the correct answers
SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”%‘
This will search the Firstname column which has atleast 1 apostrophe. Other queries will error out and not return any results
Option 5 is closest, but there again, you have a blank char at the end of each item which would cause an issue for all of them.
Corrected option 5:
SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”%‘
Option 5 is closest, but there again, you have a blank char at the end of each item which would cause an issue for all of them.
Corrected option 5:
SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”%‘
I forgot the country again! USA
The correct anser is :
5.SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”% ‘
Country: United States
SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”% ‘
#5 SELECT * FROM Employee WHERE Firstname like ‘%”%’
You need the”%” at the start and end so that any number of characters can be before or after the apostrophe, while the two single quotes between the “%” signs indicate that the desired character is an apostrophe.
USA
SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”% ‘
Answer is 5
SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE LastName like ‘%”%’
Thanks
Shree
Option 5 would work fine.
SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”%’
Dhanu Dhanapalan(India)
Correct Answer is Option 5 :
SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”%’
5.SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”% ‘
Vinay,Pune
Option 5 is the correct answer.
5. SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”% ‘
All the other queries will return error messages
SOumya Ranjan Das
India
When I ran #2, it did find apostrophes, however, it did not catch all of the apostrophes. #5 caught all of the apostrophes, but, does have an extra space on the end.
the ans is 6
5. SELECT * FROM Employee
WHERE Firstname like ‘%”% ‘;
Because this record has the single quote in (firstname) result set.
INDIA (Bangalore)
Correct answer : option 5
Option : 1, 3, 4 and 6 -> Syntax error
Option : 2 -> It will fetch the name which have Apostrophe exactly in the second position.
Option : 5-> It will fetch the first names that have an apostrophe anywhere in the name
Country : USA (Chicago)