SET OPERARTORS

Set operators in SQL Server are used to combine the output of multiple queries.

When ever we want to combine the output of multiple queries we have to identify three
factors.

1. Whether the multiple queries contains equal number of columns or not?

2. If they are equal again we have to identify whether their data types are equal or
not?
3. We have to identify whether the output column name coming from first query or
not?

EMP: DEPT:
EMPNO ENAME SAL DEPTNO DEPTNO DNAME LOC
11 RAM 15000 10 10 SALES HYD
22 RAJ 20000 20 20 HR CHE
33 ABI 10000 10 30 IR BAN
44 DP 5000 20
44 NAAG 5000 NULL

In SQL Server there existed four types of Set Operators

1. UNION ALL
2. UNION
3. INTERSECT
4. EXCEPT

1. UNION ALL: It combines the output of multiple queries including duplicate

values.

Syntax: SELECT COLUMN1, COLUMN2… FROM TABLE1

UNION ALL
SELECT COLUMN1, COLUMN2… FROM TABLE2

E.g.: SELECT EMPNO FROM EMP

UNION ALL
SELECT DEPTNO FROM DEPT
EMPNO
11
22
33
44
44
10
20
30
 2. UNION: It combines the output of multiple queries with out considering duplicate
values, mean time it arranges output data in ascending order.

Syntax: SELECT COLUMN1, COLUMN2… FROM TABLE1

UNION
SELECT COLUMN1, COLUMN2… FROM TABLE2

E.g.: SELECT EMPNO FROM EMP

UNION
SELECT DEPTNO FROM DEPT
EMPNO
10
11
20
22
30
33
44

3. INTERSECT: It selects the common values from given set of queries.

Syntax: SELECT COLUMN1, COLUMN2… FROM TABLE1

INTERSECT
SELECT COLUMN1, COLUMN2… FROM TABLE2

E.g.: SELECT DEPTNO FROM EMP

INTERSECT
SELECT DEPTNO FROM DEPT

DEPTNO
10
20

4. EXCEPT: It selects particular values from the first query which are not available
in second query..

Syntax: SELECT COLUMN1, COLUMN2… FROM TABLE1

EXCEPT
SELECT COLUMN1, COLUMN2… FROM TABLE2

E.g.: SELECT DEPTNO FROM EMP

EXCEPT
SELECT DEPTNO FROM DEPT

DEPTNO
NULL