What does “<>” mean in Oracle

Question

What does <> mean in SQL language: Sample code is as follows

SELECT ordid,
       prodid,
       qty
FROM   item
WHERE  prodid IN (SELECT prodid
                  


        

Answer 1

It means not equal to, this is a good method to exclude certain elements from your query. For example lets say you have an orders tables and then you have OrderStatusID column within that table.

You also have a status table where

0 = OnHold, 
1 = Processing, 
2 = WaitingPayment, 
3 = Shipped, 
4 = Canceled.

You can run a query where

Select * From [Orders] where OrderStatusID <> 4

this should give you all the orders except those that have been canceled! :D