LIKE vs CONTAINS on SQL Server

In SQL Server, both LIKE and CONTAINS are used to search for specific text patterns, but they work differently and serve different purposes. Understanding their differences can help you write more efficient and accurate queries.

1. LIKE Operator:

• LIKE is a basic pattern-matching operator in SQL.
  
• It uses wildcards like % (any number of characters) and _ (a single character).
  

Example:

  SELECT * FROM Products WHERE Name LIKE '%book%';

Pros:

• Simple and easy to use.
  
• Doesn’t require special setup.
  

Cons:

• Case sensitivity depends on the collation.
  
• Not optimized for large text or performance-heavy searches.
  

2. CONTAINS Function:

• CONTAINS is used for full-text search and requires full-text indexing to be enabled on the table.
  
• It allows more advanced search options, like searching for exact phrases, proximity, inflectional forms, etc.
  

Example:

  SELECT * FROM Products WHERE CONTAINS(Name, 'book');

Pros:

• Better performance for large-scale text searches.
  
• More powerful and flexible query options.
  

Cons:

• Requires setup of full-text indexes.
  
• Only works on CHAR, VARCHAR, TEXT, NVARCHAR, etc., that are part of a full-text index.
  

So, Which One to Use?

• Use LIKE for simple pattern matches and small datasets.
  
• Use CONTAINS for more advanced, full-text search scenarios where performance and flexibility are key.
  

Choosing the right one depends on your needs—LIKE is quick and easy, while CONTAINS is more robust for complex text queries.