Using regexp_like in Oracle to match on multiple string conditions

Question

I have a column called Keywords in my Oracle database, Basically Keywords column contains all the data of other columns in particular row separated by _.

Example Table:

NAME  PHONE_NUMBER  COMPANY  ADDRESS  ZIPCODE    KEYWORD
ABCD  9849523459    MICRO    RAJAHMU  532819     ABCD_9849523459_MICRO_RAJAHMU_532819
ABCD  8628738646    INFOS    KAKINAD  532775     ABCD_8628738646_INFOS_KAKINAD_532775
ABCD  8473874381    ICUBE    RAVULAP  537238     ABCD_8473874381_ICUBE_RAVULAP_537238

Now, How can i get exact string match by using REGEXP_LIKE. When i'm using the below query

SELECT * FROM USER_DATA WHERE 1=1 AND REGEXP_LIKE ('KEYWORD', 'ABCD_MICRO_RAVULAP', 'i'));

It's returning 0 records

My expected output should be

NAME  PHONE_NUMBER  COMPANY  ADDRESS  ZIPCODE    KEYWORD
ABCD  9849523459    MICRO    RAJAHMU  532819     ABCD_9849523459_MICRO_RAJAHMU_532819
ABCD  8473874381    ICUBE    RAVULAP  537238     ABCD_8473874381_ICUBE_RAVULAP_537238

I would be very grateful if anyone help me out.

Thanks Inadvance

Answer 1

Something like this?

SQL> with user_data (name, keyword) as
  2    (select 'ABCD', 'ABCD_9849523459_MICRO_RAJAHMU_532819' from dual union all
  3     select 'DEFG', 'ABCD_8628738646_INFOS_KAKINAD_532775' from dual union all
  4     select 'HIJK', 'ABCD_8473874381_ICUBE_RAVULAP_537238' from dual
  5    )
  6  select *
  7  from user_data
  8  where regexp_like(keyword, 'ABCD.+MICRO', 'i');

NAME KEYWORD
---- ------------------------------------
ABCD ABCD_9849523459_MICRO_RAJAHMU_532819

SQL>

---

If you want to search the string for two words in any order, use | operator:

SQL> with user_data (name, keyword) as
  2    (select 'ABCD', 'ABCD_9849523459_MICRO_RAJAHMU_532819' from dual union all
  3     select 'DEFG', 'ABCD_8628738646_INFOS_KAKINAD_532775' from dual union all
  4     select 'HIJK', 'ABCD_8473874381_ICUBE_RAVULAP_537238' from dual union all
  5     select 'LMNO', 'MICRO_241241242_ABCD_WHATEVER_241424' from dual
  6    )
  7  select *
  8  from user_data
  9  where regexp_like(keyword, '(ABCD).+(MICRO)|(MICRO).+(ABCD)', 'i');

NAME KEYWORD
---- ------------------------------------
ABCD ABCD_9849523459_MICRO_RAJAHMU_532819
LMNO MICRO_241241242_ABCD_WHATEVER_241424

SQL>

---

However, it isn't practical. Perhaps you should consider Oracle Text feature, then.

SQL> create table
  2  user_data (name, keyword) as
  3    (select 'ABCD', 'ABCD_9849523459_MICRO_RAJAHMU_532819' from dual union all
  4     select 'DEFG', 'ABCD_8628738646_INFOS_KAKINAD_532775' from dual union all
  5     select 'HIJK', 'ABCD_8473874381_ICUBE_RAVULAP_537238' from dual union all
  6     select 'LMNO', 'MICRO_241241242_ABCD_WHATEVER_241424' from dual
  7    );

Table created.

SQL> create index i1_ud on user_data(keyword) indextype is ctxsys.context;

Index created.

SQL> select *
  2  from user_data
  3  where contains (keyword, '$micro and abcd', 1) > 0;

NAME KEYWORD
---- ------------------------------------
ABCD ABCD_9849523459_MICRO_RAJAHMU_532819
LMNO MICRO_241241242_ABCD_WHATEVER_241424

SQL>

Answer 2

Use IN on the underlying columns rather than trying to parse the composite column:

SELECT *
FROM   USER_DATA
WHERE  (name, company, address) IN (
         ('ABCD', 'MICRO', 'RAVULAP'),
         ('MICRO', 'ABCD', 'RAVULAP')
       );

If you want to compare case-insensitively then use UPPER :

SELECT *
FROM   USER_DATA
WHERE  (UPPER(name), UPPER(company), UPPER(address)) IN (
         ('ABCD', 'MICRO', 'RAVULAP'),
         ('MICRO', 'ABCD', 'RAVULAP')
       );

If you want to match a single triplet of values to the terms in any order then you can reverse the IN clause:

SELECT *
FROM   USER_DATA
WHERE  ('ABCD', 'MICRO', 'RAVULAP') IN (
         (UPPER(name), UPPER(company), UPPER(address)),
         (UPPER(name), UPPER(address), UPPER(company)),
         (UPPER(company), UPPER(name), UPPER(address)),
         (UPPER(company), UPPER(address), UPPER(name)),
         (UPPER(address), UPPER(name), UPPER(company)),
         (UPPER(address), UPPER(company), UPPER(name))
       );