contains operator
Applies to: ✅ Microsoft Fabric ✅ Azure Data Explorer ✅ Azure Monitor ✅ Microsoft Sentinel
Filters a record set for data containing a case-insensitive string. contains searches for arbitrary sub-strings rather than terms.
The following table compares the contains operators using the abbreviations provided:
- RHS = right-hand side of the expression
- LHS = left-hand side of the expression
| Operator | Description | Case-Sensitive | Example (yields true) |
|---|---|---|---|
contains |
RHS occurs as a subsequence of LHS | No | "FabriKam" contains "BRik" |
!contains |
RHS doesn't occur in LHS | No | "Fabrikam" !contains "xyz" |
contains_cs |
RHS occurs as a subsequence of LHS | Yes | "FabriKam" contains_cs "Kam" |
!contains_cs |
RHS doesn't occur in LHS | Yes | "Fabrikam" !contains_cs "Kam" |
For more information about other operators and to determine which operator is most appropriate for your query, see datatype string operators.
Performance tips
Note
Performance depends on the type of search and the structure of the data. For best practices, see Query best practices.
When possible, use contains_cs - a case-sensitive version of the operator.
If you're looking for a term, use has for faster results.
Syntax
T | where col contains_cs (string)
Learn more about syntax conventions.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| T | string |
✔️ | The tabular input whose records are to be filtered. |
| col | string |
✔️ | The name of the column to check for string. |
| string | string |
✔️ | The case-sensitive string by which to filter the data. |
Returns
Rows in T for which string is in col.
Example
StormEvents
| summarize event_count=count() by State
| where State contains "enn"
| where event_count > 10
| project State, event_count
| render table
Output
| State | event_count |
|---|---|
| PENNSYLVANIA | 1687 |
| TENNESSEE | 1125 |