What does a colon (':') mean in SQL syntax?

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What does the colon sign “:” do in a SQL query?

Simple SQL question: What does : stand for?

For example:

SELECT * FROM myTable
WHERE Employee_column = :P_EmplId;

The : isn't exactly easy to google when you don't know what this is called. Even searching here didn't help. I'm using Oracle 11g if that makes any difference.

Never seen that before.. I've seen := which is equivalent to = — Kermit, Jun 26 '12 at 14:27
it's a select statement used in ASP.NET webpage. Not PHP, nor stored procedure. — Gunnar, Jun 26 '12 at 14:28

score 13 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 26 '12 at 14:27

13

It is a bind variable:

A placeholder in a SQL statement that must be replaced with a valid value or value address for the statement to execute successfully. By using bind variables, you can write a SQL statement that accepts inputs or parameters at run time. The following example shows a query that uses v_empid as a bind variable:

answered Jun 26 '12 at 14:27

Taryn

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Fix for broken link (needs https): https://www.akadia.com/services/ora_bind_variables.html – Eric Smith May 24 '19 at 17:49

arkascha · Answer 2 · 2017-11-08T12:46:21.187

4

Most likely you took the query from a template. It is meant to be processed with php's MDB2 sql framework. The ":" (colon) signals a placeholder in the statement, meant to be replaced when the query is executed.

edited Nov 08 '17 at 12:46

answered Jun 26 '12 at 14:27

arkascha

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Yes, i got it now. It's a placeholder for input that is in the textbox on the website. – Gunnar Jun 26 '12 at 15:00

What does a colon (':') mean in SQL syntax?

2 Answers2