MATCHES Predicate

The MATCHES predicate performs SQL queries using regular expression pattern matching. This type of pattern matching is more powerful than the wildcard pattern matching available with the LIKE predicate.

Syntax

MATCHES (Column_Reference, ' { Grouped_Search_Pattern | Counted_Search_Pattern } ') > 0

Elements

MATCH Symbols

A grouped or counted search pattern is formed like a literal of type Basic String but consists of a combination of characters and regular expressions (match symbols). Index Server is not case sensitive to characters in a search pattern other than the match symbols. The following table lists and describes the regular expressions that you can use with the MATCH predicate:

Examples

1. The following example uses a grouped match. The pattern matches authors with the names "McAlister", and "McAllister" (names such as "McAlllister", if they existed, would also be matched). Note how the vertical-bar escape character precedes the embedded parentheses, as well as the commas.

   ...WHERE MATCHES (DocAuthor, '(MacAl|+ister' )> 0

2. The following example matches any string in which exactly three instances of the pattern "Bora" occur.

   ...WHERE MATCHES (DocText, '|(Bora|)|{3|}' ) > 0

3. The following example matches any string in which at least two instances of the pattern "Bora" occurs.

   ...WHERE MATCHES (DocText, '|(Bora|)|{2,|}' ) > 0

4. The following example matches any string in which between two and three instances of the pattern "Bora" occurs.

   ...WHERE MATCHES (DocText, '|(Bora|)|{2,3|}' ) > 0

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