Basic Comparison Operators

Oracle provides several basic comparison operators that are crucial for constructing SQL queries. These operators allow users to evaluate and filter data based on specific conditions. The key comparison operators include:

• = (Equal): Checks if two expressions have the same value, returning TRUE if they do.
• != or <> (Not Equal): Determines if two expressions are not equal, returning TRUE if they differ.
• > (Greater Than): Evaluates if the left expression is greater than the right, returning TRUE for greater values.
• < (Less Than): Checks if the left expression is less than the right, returning TRUE for smaller values.
• >= (Greater Than or Equal To): Evaluates if the left expression is greater than or equal to the right, returning TRUE for equal or greater values.
• <= (Less Than or Equal To): Determines if the left expression is less than or equal to the right, returning TRUE for equal or lesser values.

These operators can be effectively utilized in various clauses of SQL queries to filter results based on user-defined conditions. For example, using the > operator in a WHERE clause can help identify all records above a specified threshold, thereby enabling targeted data analysis. Understanding these operators is crucial for anyone working with SQL, as they form the backbone of data filtering and conditional logic.