LIKE Operator not working in a query

Question

The following query returns the full list of customers if I remove the WHERE... LIKE clause. While expecting the entries starting with "A" from the same what could be the error leading to a blank single cell?

SELECT [01_Clients].Customer

FROM 01_Clients

WHERE ((([01_Clients].[Customer]) LIKE "A*"));

Answer 1

Access supports two dialects of SQL: Access SQL and ANSI-92 SQL. The latter is compatible with SQL Server; it uses % as wildcard for any number of characters, and _ for a single character, instead of * and ? respectively.

You can specify the version to use in File > Options > Object Designers > SQL Server Compatible Syntax (ANSI 92) in the Query design section.

Answer 2

The SQL looks correct!

Are you sure that there are customers whose name starts with A?

Answer 3

Sure the entries do exist. But even a query like:

SELECT [01_Clients].Customer

FROM 01_Clients

WHERE ((([01_Clients].Customer) Like "*"));

doesn't work, while inserting the whole name as:

SELECT [01_Clients].Customer

FROM 01_Clients

WHERE ((([01_Clients].Customer) Like "A. Venture"));

does return a single record pertaining to **"**A. Venture"

Answer 4

What happens if you use % as wildcard instead of * ?

Answer 5

U R right! % does work correctly! By the way any reason?