Difference between IN and BETWEEN Operators

The IN and BETWEEN operators are both used in SQL to filter data based on specified criteria, but they operate differently.

1. IN Operator: The IN operator is used to check if a value matches any value in a list of specified values.

    Example:

 

    SELECT * FROM employees WHERE department_id IN (10, 20, 30);

2. BETWEEN Operator: The BETWEEN operator is used to check if a value falls within a specified range.

    Example:

 

    SELECT * FROM orders WHERE order_date BETWEEN '2022-01-01' AND '2022-01-31';

Here's an example with data and output for both operators:

Consider a table named employees with columns employee_id, first_name, last_name, and salary.

| employee_id | first_name | last_name | salary |

|-------------|------------|-----------|--------|

| 1           | John       | Doe       | 50000  |

| 2           | Jane       | Smith     | 60000  |

| 3           | Alice      | Johnson   | 45000  |

| 4           | Bob        | Brown     | 70000  |

| 5           | Emily      | Davis     | 55000  |

1. Using IN Operator:

  

    SELECT * FROM employees WHERE salary IN (50000, 60000, 70000);

    Output:

    | employee_id | first_name | last_name | salary |

    |-------------|------------|-----------|--------|

    | 1           | John       | Doe       | 50000  |

    | 2           | Jane       | Smith     | 60000  |

    | 4           | Bob        | Brown     | 70000  |

2. Using BETWEEN Operator:

  

    SELECT * FROM employees WHERE salary BETWEEN 50000 AND 60000;

    Output:

    | employee_id | first_name | last_name | salary |

    |-------------|------------|-----------|--------|

    | 1           | John       | Doe       | 50000  |

    | 2           | Jane       | Smith     | 60000  |

    | 5           | Emily      | Davis     | 55000  |

In summary, the IN operator checks for values in a specified list, while the BETWEEN operator checks for values within a specified range.

Here are five frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the `IN` and `BETWEEN` operators in SQL:

1. What is the IN operator used for in SQL?

   - The IN operator is used to check if a specified value matches any value in a list of values or the result of a subquery.

2. How does the IN operator differ from the BETWEEN operator?

   - The IN operator checks for a value in a list, while the BETWEEN operator checks for a value within a specified range.

3. Can the IN operator be used with subqueries?

   - Yes, the IN operator can be used with subqueries. This allows for more dynamic and complex filtering of data based on the result of another query.

4. What is the syntax for using the BETWEEN operator in SQL?

   - The syntax for the BETWEEN operator is:

    

     value BETWEEN low_value AND high_value

  

     This checks if the value is greater than or equal to low_value and less than or equal to high_value.

5. When should I use the IN operator instead of the BETWEEN operator?

   - Use the IN operator when you want to check if a value matches any value in a list or result set. Use the BETWEEN operator when you want to check if a value falls within a specified range.