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sqloracleora-00936

'NOT LIKE' in an SQL query

Why does this simple query return 'ORA-00936: missing expression' (the database is Oracle as you can tell):

SELECT * FROM transactions WHERE id NOT LIKE '1%' AND NOT LIKE '2%'

I feel silly, but what am I doing wrong?

Solution

  • You have missed out the field name id in the second NOT LIKE. Try:

    SELECT * FROM transactions WHERE id NOT LIKE '1%' AND id NOT LIKE '2%'

    The AND in the where clause joins 2 full condition expressions such as id NOT LIKE '1%' and can't be used to list multiple values that the id is 'not like'.