SELECT TOP Clause,

SQL Server / MS Access Syntax

SELECT TOP number|percent column_name(s)
FROM table_name;

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SQL SELECT TOP Equivalent in MySQL and Oracle

MySQL Syntax

SELECT column_name(s)
FROM table_name
LIMIT number;

Example

SELECT *
FROM Persons
LIMIT 5;

Using the SQL % Wildcard The following SQL statement selects all customers with a City starting with "ber": Example SELECT * FROM Customers WHERE City LIKE 'ber%';

Oracle Syntax

SELECT column_name(s)
FROM table_name
WHERE ROWNUM <= number;

Example

SELECT *
FROM Persons
WHERE ROWNUM <=5;

Example

SELECT TOP 2 * FROM Customers; 

Example

SELECT TOP 50 PERCENT * FROM Customers;

The SQL LIKE Operator

The LIKE operator is used to search for a specified pattern in a column.

SQL LIKE Syntax

SELECT column_name(s)
FROM table_name
WHERE column_name LIKE pattern;

Example

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE City LIKE 's%'; 

CustomerID	CustomerName	ContactName	Address	City	PostalCode	Country
7	Blondel père et fils	Frédérique Citeaux	24, place Kléber	Strasbourg	67000	France
15	Comércio Mineiro	Pedro Afonso	Av. dos Lusíadas, 23	São Paulo	05432-043	Brazil
21	Familia Arquibaldo	Aria Cruz	Rua Orós, 92	São Paulo	05442-030	Brazil
30	Godos Cocina Típica	José Pedro Freyre	C/ Romero, 33	Sevilla	41101	Spain
35	HILARIÓN-Abastos	Carlos Hernández	Carrera 22 con Ave. Carlos Soublette #8-35	San Cristóbal	5022	Venezuela

Example

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE City LIKE '%s'; 

ustomerID	CustomerName	ContactName	Address	City	PostalCode	Country
12	Cactus Comidas para llevar	Patricio Simpson	Cerrito 333	Buenos Aires	1010	Argentina
18	Du monde entier	Janine Labrune	67, rue des Cinquante Otages	Nantes	44000	France
26	France restauration	Carine Schmitt	54, rue Royale	Nantes	44000	France
31	Gourmet Lanchonetes	André Fonseca	Av. Brasil, 442	Campinas	04876-786	Brazil
33	GROSELLA-Restaurante	Manuel Pereira	5ª Ave. Los Palos Grandes	Caracas	1081	Venezuela
38	Island Trading	Helen Bennett	Garden House Crowther Way	Cowes	PO31 7PJ	UK
40	La corne d'abondance	Daniel Tonini	67, avenue de l'Europe	Versailles	78000	France
50	Maison Dewey	Catherine Dewey	Rue Joseph-Bens 532	Bruxelles	B-1180	Belgium
54	Océano Atlántico Ltda.	Yvonne Moncada	Ing. Gustavo Moncada 8585 Piso 20-A	Buenos Aires	1010	Argentina
57	Paris spécialités	Marie Bertrand	265, boulevard Charonne	Paris	75012	France
64	Rancho grande	Sergio Gutiérrez	Av. del Libertador 900	Buenos Aires	1010	Argentina
74	Spécialités du monde	Dominique Perrier	25, rue Lauriston	Paris	75016	France
83	Vaffeljernet	Palle Ibsen	Smagsløget 45	Århus	8200	Denmark

Example

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE Country LIKE '%land%'; 

CustomerID	CustomerName	ContactName	Address	City	PostalCode	Country
14	Chop-suey Chinese	Yang Wang	Hauptstr. 29	Bern	3012	Switzerland
37	Hungry Owl All-Night Grocers	Patricia McKenna	8 Johnstown Road	Cork		Ireland
68	Richter Supermarkt	Michael Holz	Grenzacherweg 237	Genève	1203	Switzerland
87	Wartian Herkku	Pirkko Koskitalo	Torikatu 38	Oulu	90110	Finland
90	Wilman Kala	Matti Karttunen	Keskuskatu 45	Helsinki	21240	Finland
91	Wolski	Zbyszek	ul. Filtrowa 68	Walla	01-012	Poland

he following SQL statement selects all customers with Country NOT containing the pattern "land":

Example

SELECT * FROM Customers
WHERE Country NOT LIKE '%land%'; 

CustomerID	CustomerName	ContactName	Address	City	PostalCode	Country
1	Alfreds Futterkiste	Maria Anders	Obere Str. 57	Berlin	12209	Germany
2	Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados	Ana Trujillo	Avda. de la Constitución 2222	México D.F.	05021	Mexico
3	Antonio Moreno Taquería	Antonio Moreno	Mataderos 2312	México D.F.	05023	Mexico
4	Around the Horn	Thomas Hardy	120 Hanover Sq.	London	WA1 1DP	UK
5	Berglunds snabbköp	Christina Berglund	Berguvsvägen 8	Luleå	S-958 22	Sweden
6	Blauer See Delikatessen	Hanna Moos	Forsterstr. 57	Mannheim	68306	Germany
7	Blondel père et fils	Frédérique Citeaux	24, place Kléber	Strasbourg	67000	France
8	Bólido Comidas preparadas	Martín Sommer	C/ Araquil, 67	Madrid	28023	Spain
9	Bon app'	Laurence Lebihans	12, rue des Bouchers	Marseille	13008	France