Difference Between REGEXP and RLIKE in MySQL
In MySQL, REGEXP and RLIKE are functionally identical operators used for pattern matching with regular expressions. They both allow you to match strings against a regular expression pattern in a SELECT query.
Synonyms:
RLIKEis simply a synonym forREGEXP; using either will produce the same results.Pattern Matching: Both operators support the full MySQL regular expression syntax, including anchors (
^,$), character classes ([a-z]), quantifiers (*,+,{n,m}), alternation (|), and wildcards (.).Case Sensitivity: By default, both are case-insensitive for non-binary strings. The
BINARYkeyword can make the match case-sensitive.Usage Example: You can use
column REGEXP 'pattern'orcolumn RLIKE 'pattern'interchangeably in queries.
In practice, there is no functional difference, and the choice between REGEXP and RLIKE is mostly a matter of style or readability.