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SQL OR Operator

The OR operator in SQL is used to combine multiple conditions in a WHERE clause. It ensures that rows are returned if any one of the specified conditions is true.

 

Basic Syntax of OR Operator

SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
WHERE condition1 OR condition2 OR condition3;
  • condition1: The first condition to evaluate.
  • condition2: The second condition to evaluate.
  • Rows are returned if at least one condition is true.

 

Key Features of OR Operator

1. Combining Multiple Conditions

The OR operator returns results if any condition is satisfied.

SELECT name, age, city  
FROM employees  
WHERE age < 25 OR city = 'Chicago';
  • Retrieves employees who are younger than 25 or live in Chicago.

2. Flexible Filtering

OR allows for flexibility in filtering rows with alternative conditions.

SELECT product_name, price, stock  
FROM products  
WHERE price > 1000 OR stock = 0;
  • Retrieves products priced over 1000 or those that are out of stock.

3. Using OR with Comparison Operators

The OR operator works with comparison operators like >, <, =, and !=.

SELECT name, salary, position  
FROM employees  
WHERE position = 'Manager' OR salary >= 8000;
  • Retrieves employees who are either Managers or earn a salary of 8000 or more.

 

Example Queries

1. Filter Employees by Age or City

SELECT name, age, city  
FROM employees  
WHERE age < 30 OR city = 'New York';
  • Retrieves employees who are younger than 30 or live in New York.

2. Filter Products by Price or Stock

SELECT product_name, price, stock  
FROM products  
WHERE price < 50 OR stock < 20;
  • Retrieves products priced below 50 or with stock less than 20.

3. Using OR with Dates

SELECT order_id, order_date, customer_id  
FROM orders  
WHERE order_date < '2024-01-01' OR order_date > '2024-06-30';
  • Retrieves orders placed before January 1, 2024, or after June 30, 2024.

4. OR with Multiple Conditions

SELECT name, position, salary, city  
FROM employees  
WHERE position = 'Manager' OR city = 'Los Angeles' OR salary > 7000;
  • Retrieves employees who are Managers, live in Los Angeles, or earn more than 7000.

 

Combining OR with AND

The OR operator can be combined with AND for complex conditions.

SELECT name, department, salary  
FROM employees  
WHERE department = 'HR' AND (salary > 6000 OR city = 'New York');
  • This retrieves employees in the HR department where the salary is greater than 6000 or the city is New York.
  • Parentheses ensure the correct evaluation order.

 

Summary

The OR operator in SQL is used to return rows that satisfy at least one of the specified conditions. It is ideal for flexible filtering and works well with other logical operators like AND for more complex queries.

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