# What does % do?

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/what-does-do/49126>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [30 July 2021 18:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/what-does-do/49126 "2021-07-30T18:30:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dokoral](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dokoral/32/39381_2.png) [@dokoral](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dokoral)\
**Post date:** [30 July 2021 18:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/what-does-do/49126/1 "2021-07-30T18:30:04Z")

</div>

I'm new to this. What does enclosing data with % do? ex: %helloWorld%

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [30 July 2021 19:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/what-does-do/49126/2 "2021-07-30T19:17:10Z")

</div>

Could you expand your question by explaining where you are doing that?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dokoral](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dokoral/32/39381_2.png) [@dokoral](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dokoral)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2021 17:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/what-does-do/49126/3 "2021-07-31T17:28:04Z")

</div>

What I was unclear about was the character is used in sqlite (not JS) to enclose and identify a SELECT pattern. Sorry for confusion.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2021 17:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/what-does-do/49126/4 "2021-07-31T17:36:24Z")

</div>

In SQL, the % sign is a wild card for string matching.

searching for `%he%` would find `hen` and `sheep` but not `goat`

What does this have to do with node-red though?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [29 September 2021 17:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/what-does-do/49126/5 "2021-09-29T17:37:20Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.