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Asked: 2024-09-27T02:21:37+05:30 In:

how to write is not equal to in sql

I’m currently working on a SQL project, and I’ve hit a bit of a roadblock. I’m trying to filter data from my database, and I need to exclude certain records based on a specific column value. I’ve heard that the “not equal to” operator is what I need, but I’m unsure about the correct syntax to use in SQL.

I’ve seen different symbols used for this operation in various tutorials and forums, like “<>” or “!=”. Does it matter which one I use, or are they interchangeable? Also, I’m not entirely clear on how to structure the entire SQL query to incorporate this condition effectively. Should I be using it with a SELECT statement, and if so, how does it fit into the WHERE clause?

I want to make sure that I’m using best practices while writing this query to ensure it runs efficiently. Can anyone provide a clear example or breakdown of how to write an SQL query that filters out rows where a particular column does not equal a specified value? Any insights or guidance would be greatly appreciated!

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    2 Answers

    1. Okay, so you wanna know how to write “not equal to” in SQL? It’s actually not super complicated, even if you’re just starting out!

      In SQL, you can use a couple of symbols for “not equal to.” The most common one is <>. So if you were checking if a column called age is not equal to 21, you would write something like this:

      SELECT * FROM users WHERE age <> 21;

      There’s also another way to do it using !=, which is kinda like what you see in many programming languages. So the same thing would look like this:

      SELECT * FROM users WHERE age != 21;

      Either way works, so you can just pick whichever one feels right for you. Just remember that not equal means looking for stuff that totally doesn’t match! Good luck with your SQL coding!


    2. To express “not equal to” in SQL, you can utilize the `<>` operator or the `!=` operator, both of which serve the same purpose in filtering data from a table. These two operators can be employed interchangeably, although their usage may vary depending on the SQL dialect you are working with. For example, consider a scenario where you want to retrieve all records from a `customers` table where the `status` is not equal to ‘inactive’. The SQL query would be structured as follows: `SELECT * FROM customers WHERE status <> ‘inactive’;` or `SELECT * FROM customers WHERE status != ‘inactive’;`. Both statements will yield identical results.

      It’s essential to remain consistent with the operator chosen throughout your queries to enhance code readability and maintainability. When building more complex queries, especially those involving multiple conditions, remember to appropriately use logical operators such as `AND` and `OR` in combination with your not-equal conditions. For instance, if you wish to find all active customers who are not located in ‘New York’, you could write: `SELECT * FROM customers WHERE status <> ‘inactive’ AND city <> ‘New York’;`. This practice facilitates the development of clear and efficient SQL statements that effectively meet business requirements.

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