SQL Operators

SQL operators are important in database management systems (DBMS) as they allow us to manipulate and retrieve data efficiently. Operators in SQL perform arithmetic, logical, comparison, bitwise, and other operations to work with database values. Understanding SQL operators is crucial for performing complex data manipulations, calculations, and filtering operations in queries.

In this guide, we’ll explain the different types of SQL operators, including arithmetic operators, comparison operators, logical operators, bitwise operators, and more. We’ll provide clear examples to demonstrate how they work, helping you optimize your SQL queries for better performance and accuracy.

Operators in SQL

SQL operators are symbols or keywords used to perform operations on data in SQL queries. These operations can include mathematical calculations, data comparisons, logical manipulations, other data-processing tasks. Operators help in filtering, calculating, and updating data in databases, making them crucial for query optimization and accurate data management.

Types of SQL Operators

SQL operators can be categorized based on the type of operation they perform. Here are the primary types of SQL operators:

• Arithmetic Operator
• Comparison Operator
• Logical Operator
• Bitwise Operators
• Compound Operators
• Special Operators

Each of these operators is essential for performing different types of operations on data in SQL databases.

SQL Arithmetic Operators

Arithmetic operators in SQL are used to perform mathematical operations on numeric data types in SQL queries. Some common arithmetic operators:

Example: Arithmetic Operations

In this example, we calculates a 5% increment on employee salaries and returns both the original and updated salary values.

Query:

SELECT emp_salary, emp_salary * 1.05 AS "Revised Salary" FROM employee;

Output:

Arithmetic Operation Example

SQL Comparison Operators

Comparison Operators in SQL are used to compare one expression’s value to other expressions. SQL supports different types of comparison operator, which are described below:

Example: Comparison Operation

In this example, we will retrieve all records from the “MATHS” table where the value in the “MARKS” column is equal to 50.

Query:

SELECT * FROM MATHS WHERE MARKS=50;

Output:

SQL Logical Operators

Logical Operators in SQL are used to combine or manipulate conditions in SQL queries to retrieve or manipulate data based on specified criteria..

Example: Logical Operation

In this example, retrieve all records from the “employee” table where the “emp_city” column is equal to ‘Allahabad‘ and the “emp_country” column is equal to ‘India’.

Query:

SELECT * FROM employee WHERE emp_city = 
'Allahabad' AND emp_country = 'India';

Output:

SQL Bitwise Operators

Bitwise operators in SQL are used to perform bitwise operations on binary values in SQL queries, manipulating individual bits to perform logical operations at the bit level. Some SQL Bitwise Operators are:

SQL Compound Operators

Compound operators combine an operation with assignment. These operators modify the value of a column and store the result in the same column in a single step. Some Compound operators are:

SQL Special Operators

SQL also provides several special operators that serve specific functions such as filtering data based on a range, checking for existence, and comparing sets of values.

Example: Special Operator (BETWEEN)

In this example, we will retrieve all records from the “employee” table where the “emp_id” column has a value that falls within the range of 101 to 104 (inclusive).

Query:

SELECT * FROM employee WHERE emp_id BETWEEN 101 AND 104;

Output:

Conclusion

SQL operators are essential tools for working with data in a relational database. Whether you’re performing arithmetic operations, logical comparisons, bitwise manipulations, or using special operators to filter data, understanding these operators is key to writing efficient and effective SQL queries. By mastering SQL operators, we can simplify complex data operations, enhance query performance, and manipulate data more effectively. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced SQL user, the knowledge of operators will help you unlock the full potential of SQL queries and database management systems.