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Databases SQL Basics Finding the Data You Want Searching Tables with 'WHERE'

Robert Close
Robert Close
3,383 Points
Posted by Robert Close
Robert Close
3,383 Points

Noticed something odd

I'm a bit further along in the SQL lessons but I just noticed something I don't understand dealing with this portion of information. Using the SQL query, SELECT column_name FROM table_name WHERE columnX = "Alien"; works fine. But using the SQL query, SELECT column_name FROM table_name WHERE columnX = "Star Fighter"; does not. I can't seem to make it work for any string that has any spaces in it. Why is that?

Note: putting something in between greater then and less then makes them go poof.

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,248 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,248 Points

To prevent the magic vanishing act and show the < symbol use &lt;.

Now that you "fixed" your question.. it looks like both cases should work! Are you still having a problem?

Robert Close
Robert Close
3,383 Points
Robert Close
Robert Close
3,383 Points

Still doing the same thing. Not too worried about it as I know how to work around it but like I said I just found it odd.

Jason Anello
Jason Anello
Courses Plus Student 94,610 Points

Which table are you trying to run this query on? Is it something from one of the sql playgrounds?

2 Answers

andi mitre
STAFF
andi mitre
Treehouse Guest Teacher
andi mitre
andi mitre
Treehouse Guest Teacher

Hey Robert, try it with quotes around the string 

select * from movies where title = 'Star Fighter';

Additionally, when working with strings you can always use wildcards (%) this link will show you the differences between '%star', '%star%' and 'star%'.

Hope that helps,

Cheers

Robert Close
Robert Close
3,383 Points
Robert Close
Robert Close
3,383 Points

Whoops, forgot to put the quotes in my question. The query itself has them in it. Will edit the question if I can.

As far as wildcards (and LIKE I suppose) are concerned I know how to use them but I thought it odd that I'd have to use them at all in the case I described.

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,248 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,248 Points

A query like SELECT FROM WHERE = Alien should NOT work, for four reasons:

  • there is no column list (or *) in the SELECT clause
  • there is no table in the FROM clause
  • there is no column mentioned in the WHERE clause
  • the string being tested is not in quotes

Quotes should be used around all literal strings, whether or not they contain spaces.

A correct version of that query might be:

SELECT * FROM movies WHERE title = 'Alien';
Robert Close
Robert Close
3,383 Points
Robert Close
Robert Close
3,383 Points

! I...just wow. I know these things but yet just typed them in wrong on the question. (Sigh) lemme fix it.