Oracle PL/SQL/Regular Expressions/NOT

Caret ("^") may be either an anchor or a negating marker

SQL> create table TestTable(
  2    ID                    VARCHAR2(4 BYTE)         NOT NULL,
  3    Description           VARCHAR2(30 BYTE)
  4  )
  5  /
Table created.
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("1","1234 5th Street");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("2","1 Culloden Street");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("3","1234 Road");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("4","33 Thrid Road");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("5","One than another");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("6","2003 Movie");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("7","Start With Letters");
1 row created.
SQL>
SQL> select * from TestTable;
ID   DESCRIPTION
---- ------------------------------
1    1234 5th Street
2    1 Culloden Street
3    1234 Road
4    33 Thrid Road
5    One than another
6    2003 Movie
7    Start With Letters
7 rows selected.
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> -- Negating Carets
SQL>
SQL> -- Caret ("^") may be either an anchor or a negating marker.
SQL>
SQL> --Negate the string by placing a negating caret at the beginning of the string
SQL>
SQL> SELECT description
  2  FROM testTable
  3  WHERE REGEXP_LIKE(description,"[^o1]");
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------
1234 5th Street
1 Culloden Street
1234 Road
33 Thrid Road
One than another
2003 Movie
Start With Letters
7 rows selected.
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> drop table TestTable;
Table dropped.
SQL>
SQL>

If we wanted a non-("g" or "p") followed by something else like an "l"

SQL> create table TestTable(
  2    ID                    VARCHAR2(4 BYTE)         NOT NULL,
  3    Description           VARCHAR2(30 BYTE)
  4  )
  5  /
Table created.
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("1","1234 5th Street");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("2","1 Culloden Street");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("3","1234 Road");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("4","33 Thrid Road");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("5","One than another");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("6","2003 Movie");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("7","Start With Letters");
1 row created.
SQL>
SQL> select * from TestTable;
ID   DESCRIPTION
---- ------------------------------
1    1234 5th Street
2    1 Culloden Street
3    1234 Road
4    33 Thrid Road
5    One than another
6    2003 Movie
7    Start With Letters
7 rows selected.
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> -- If we wanted a non-("g" or "p") followed by something else like an "l"
SQL>
SQL> SELECT description
  2  FROM testTable
  3  WHERE REGEXP_LIKE(description,"[^mn]t");
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------
1234 5th Street
1 Culloden Street
One than another
Start With Letters
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> drop table TestTable;
Table dropped.
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>

Match "description" where there were no digits at all anywhere in the string

SQL> create table TestTable(
  2    ID                    VARCHAR2(4 BYTE)         NOT NULL,
  3    Description           VARCHAR2(30 BYTE)
  4  )
  5  /
Table created.
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("1","1234 5th Street");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("2","1 Culloden Street");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("3","1234 Road");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("4","33 Thrid Road");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("5","One than another");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("6","2003 Movie");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("7","Start With Letters");
1 row created.
SQL>
SQL> select * from TestTable;
ID   DESCRIPTION
---- ------------------------------
1    1234 5th Street
2    1 Culloden Street
3    1234 Road
4    33 Thrid Road
5    One than another
6    2003 Movie
7    Start With Letters
7 rows selected.
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> -- Match "description" where there were no digits at all anywhere in the string we could have used
SQL> --the bracket notation, a range of numbers, and the NOT predicate.
SQL>
SQL> SELECT description
  2  FROM testTable
  3  WHERE NOT REGEXP_LIKE(description,"[0-9]");
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------
One than another
Start With Letters
SQL>
SQL> drop table TestTable;
Table dropped.
SQL>
SQL>

Use the negating caret(not): REGEXP_LIKE(description,"[^mn]")

SQL> create table TestTable(
  2    ID                    VARCHAR2(4 BYTE)         NOT NULL,
  3    Description           VARCHAR2(30 BYTE)
  4  )
  5  /
Table created.
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("1","1234 5th Street");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("2","1 Culloden Street");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("3","1234 Road");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("4","33 Thrid Road");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("5","One than another");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("6","2003 Movie");
1 row created.
SQL> insert into TestTable (ID, Description) values("7","Start With Letters");
1 row created.
SQL>
SQL> select * from TestTable;
ID   DESCRIPTION
---- ------------------------------
1    1234 5th Street
2    1 Culloden Street
3    1234 Road
4    33 Thrid Road
5    One than another
6    2003 Movie
7    Start With Letters
7 rows selected.
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> -- Use the negating caret:
SQL>
SQL> SELECT * FROM testTable WHERE REGEXP_LIKE(description,"[^mn]");
ID   DESCRIPTION
---- ------------------------------
1    1234 5th Street
2    1 Culloden Street
3    1234 Road
4    33 Thrid Road
5    One than another
6    2003 Movie
7    Start With Letters
7 rows selected.
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> SELECT * FROM testTable WHERE REGEXP_LIKE(description,"[mn]");
ID   DESCRIPTION
---- ------------------------------
2    1 Culloden Street
5    One than another
SQL>
SQL>
SQL>
SQL> drop table TestTable;
Table dropped.
SQL>