Step 5. Write an Expression
There are three basic questions you can ask the Query engine.
1 | What are the values of all the attributes for an item in the same order you asked for them? |
2 | Does an item meet the expression criteria? |
3 | What items of a specified type match the expression? |
Operators include:
Comparison Operators | |
For TADB attributes | |
= | Logical EQUALS operator. |
< | Logical LESS THAN operator. |
> | Logical GREATER THAN operator. |
<= | Logical LESS THAN or EQUALS operator. |
>= | Logical GREATER THAN or EQUALS operator. |
=l |
Logical SQL LIKE operator.
Note: The appropriate information about acceptable wild cards and pattern matching characters can be found in SQL Server Books Online:
|
=r | Logical regular expression comparison operator. |
For non-TADB attributes | |
= | Logical EQUALS operator. |
=r | Logical regular expression comparison operator. |
Up | |
Boolean Operators | |
! | Logical NOT operator (placed before an expression) |
& | Logical AND operator. |
| | Logical OR operator |
Up | |
Other Syntax Tools | |
( ) | To group expression elements. |
' ' | To identify literal values |
, | To form sub-string expressions. |
. | To identify attributes |
$$ | To identify references to named expressions. |
Up |
Note: There is no Not Comparison Operator. When an expression should be a not expression, a
!
is placed before the expression.