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The CONTAINS predicate is optional for search queries on columns of most data types; however, for large object
types and text, this predicate is mandatory. You can build a search query with the CONTAINS predicate as
follows:
SELECT * FROM
WHERE CONTAINS ((, , ), )
When you specify the CONTAINS predicate, SAP HANA runs the following internal checks:
● SAP HANA checks if the query contains one or more terms. If the query contains multiple terms, the terms
are tokenized and concatenated.
● SAP HANA checks whether the query is to be run on one or more columns. If you only specify one column, to
optimize the search, additional processes are skipped and the query is run on the single column. If you specify
a wildcard, and therefore possibly numerous columns, SAP HANA automatically determines which columns
are relevant for the search query.
After the checks are performed, SAP HANA builds and runs an internal query on the relevant columns only.
Note:
If a column has a full text index assigned, SAP HANA will automatically search on the index rather than on
the original column.
Determination of Search-Relevant Columns
You can specify the search-relevant columns either at the creation of the view or directly for the query. SAP HANA
determines which relevant columns to search based on the following hierarchy:
1. You specify a list of columns within the CONTAINS predicate. Even if a list of columns has been defined for
the view, it is overridden by the columns stated in the query.
2. If you enter an asterisk (*) instead of a column list but you specified a list of relevant columns when creating
the view, this list is used for the query.
3. If you enter an asterisk (*) and no list was provided when the view was created, all visible columns of the view
or table are considered as search-relevant.
For information about creating views, see Creating Views in the SAP HANA Administration Guide.
Search Operators and Syntax
With the CONTAINS predicate, SAP HANA supports the following search operators:
● OR
Matches are returned that contain at least one of the terms joined by the OR operator.
● - (minus)
With a minus sign, SAP HANA searches in columns for matches that do not contain the term immediately
following the minus sign.
● " " (quotation marks)
SAP HANA Developer Guide
Enabling Search
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