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Range query (database)

Database operation

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated May 29, 2026

A range query is a common database operation that retrieves all records where some value is between an upper and lower boundary. For example, list all employees with 3 to 5 years' experience. Range queries are unusual because it is not generally known in advance how many entries a range query will return, or if it will return any at all. Many other queries, such as the top ten most senior employees, or the newest employee, can be done more efficiently because there is an upper bound to the number of results they will return. A query that returns exactly one result is sometimes called a singleton.

01Partial match query

Match at least one of the requested keys.

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This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Range query (database)”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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