select fruit_name from FRUITS where fruit_name not in (select FRUIT_NAME from new_fruits)

say there are two tables

Table:FRUITS

column: fruit_name
apples
bannanas
oranges


table: new_fruits
column: fruit_name
grapes
apples


I want the sql to return bannanas and orange but the sql returns nothing

using sql server 2005

two comments

first, sql server problems should really be posted in the sql server forum

ANSI SQL solutions don't always work in every database system

secondly, you've obviously "dumbed down" your situation, beyond the point where it can be solved

the query you posted ~will~ return the results you expect -- bannanas and oranges

oh sorry didn't realize NOT IN was exclusive to only sql server? or to a couple of servers

i dumbed it down, since the tables contains thousands of rows(one table has 700k, other has 1000)

both use varchar(16) null for the column.

I don't know why NOT IN doesn't work,but using EXCEPT(T-sql) returns what I want as well.

select distinct fruit_name from FRUITS except
select distinct fruit_name from new_fruits

actually, it is ANSI SQL

however, a great number of problems posted in this thread are actually looking for a dbms-specific solution, not an ANSI SQL one



i don't know why your NOT IN didn't work either, the only thing i can think of is trailing spaces in the data values

but if you're happy with EXCEPT, that's fine

EXCEPT is ANSI SQL too

Watch out for nulls!

If any FRUIT_NAME value is null in the new_fruits table, your query will return no rows at all.

Does this make any difference:
select fruit_name from FRUITS where fruit_name not in
(select FRUIT_NAME from new_fruits where FRUIT_NAME is not null)

dang!!! [ slaps forehead ]

i had forgotten about that particular whoopsie

nice one, jarlH

yup nulls in the table got me, and EXCEPT inheritantly ignored them

thanks for the help

Nulls just got me too!
Thankfully I found this old thread that explained what I was seeing, or I'd have spent hours trying to figure this out.