MySQL BETWEEN Keyword

The BETWEEN keyword in MySQL is used to filter the result set within a specified range. It is commonly employed in WHERE clauses to limit results to values that fall between two specified boundaries.

Usage

The BETWEEN keyword is used to define a range of values for filtering data in SQL queries. It can be applied to numeric, date, or textual data types.

SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
WHERE column_name BETWEEN value1 AND value2;

In this syntax, BETWEEN value1 AND value2 checks if column_name falls within the inclusive range defined by value1 and value2.

Examples

1. Basic Numeric Range

SELECT product_name, price
FROM products
WHERE price BETWEEN 10 AND 50;

This query retrieves products whose prices are between 10 and 50, inclusive.

2. Date Range Filtering

SELECT order_id, order_date
FROM orders
WHERE order_date BETWEEN '2023-01-01' AND '2023-12-31';

Here, orders placed between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, are selected.

3. Textual Range

SELECT employee_id, last_name
FROM employees
WHERE last_name BETWEEN 'A' AND 'M';

This example selects employees whose last names start with letters between 'A' and 'M', inclusive.

Tips and Best Practices

• Inclusive Boundaries. Remember that BETWEEN is inclusive, so both boundary values are included in the results.
• Handling NULL Values. BETWEEN does not include NULL values in the result set. Be mindful of this when your dataset may contain NULLs.
• Data Types Consistency. Ensure the data types of the column and values in BETWEEN are compatible to avoid unexpected results.
• Use with Caution on Strings. When using BETWEEN with strings, be mindful of the character set and collation, as results can vary.
• Combine with Other Conditions. BETWEEN can be effectively combined with other conditions using logical operators (AND, OR) for more precise queries.
• Performance Considerations. Utilizing indexes on columns used with BETWEEN can improve query performance. Consider indexing when appropriate.
• Edge Cases with Floating-point Numbers. Be cautious using BETWEEN with floating-point numbers due to potential precision issues.