19:14, 8th November 2014
The SQL LIKE Condition enables pattern matching in queries using wildcards such as %, which matches any string length and _, which matches a single character, with syntax allowing optional escape characters for literal wildcard use. It is commonly used in WHERE clauses for filtering data and is case-insensitive for string comparisons, though care is needed with char data types due to trailing space padding that may affect results. Examples demonstrate its application in selecting records based on partial matches, excluding specific patterns with NOT and escaping special characters for precise searches. Additionally, combining LIKE with functions like UPPER can facilitate case-insensitive searches, ensuring flexibility in querying diverse data formats.
19:59, 31st May 2007
Being a Safari subscriber, I found a pleasant surprise awaiting me in this month's email newsletter: eBooks from SAS Books are now available on Safari. Having a brief look, I found a small but useful selection. Topics like the SQL procedure, the Macro language and Enterprise Guide caught my eye, but there's more than this on offer. It'll be interesting to see where this leads...
19:45, 25th April 2007
Until SAS 9.2, SAS/Access will not support the Oracle timestamp format. There still is no word on when 9.2 might appear, so it's over to the SQL pass-through facility...
18:40, 21st March 2007
What I never realised was that PHP could do image generation, and it's an intriguing possibility that I may yet use myself. This useful ability comes courtesy of GD, and this is included in some PHP distributions.