!= (not equals) operator

Filters a record set for data that does not match a case-sensitive string.

The following table provides a comparison of the == (equals) operators:

Operator Description Case-Sensitive Example (yields true)
== Equals Yes "aBc" == "aBc"
!= Not equals Yes "abc" != "ABC"
=~ Equals No "abc" =~ "ABC"
!~ Not equals No "aBc" !~ "xyz"

For further 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 faster results, use the case-sensitive version of an operator, for example, ==, not =~.

If you're testing for the presence of a symbol or alphanumeric word that is bound by non-alphanumeric characters at the start or end of a field, for faster results use has or in.

For best practices, see Query best practices.

Syntax

T | where col != (list of scalar expressions)

Arguments

  • T - The tabular input whose records are to be filtered.
  • col - The column to filter.
  • expression - Scalar or literal expression.

Returns

Rows in T for which the predicate is true.

Example

StormEvents
    | summarize event_count=count() by State
    | where (State != "FLORIDA") and (event_count > 4000)
    | project State, event_count

Output

State event_count
TEXAS 4,701