Description: SARGable is a term that refers to an SQL query that can leverage an index to improve its performance. The word comes from the combination of the initial letters of ‘Search Argument Able’, implying that the query is designed in such a way that the database engine can use an existing index to quickly locate relevant records. This is crucial in large databases, where searches without indexes can result in very slow performance. SARGable queries are those that use operators that allow the database engine to optimize the search, such as ‘=’ (equal), ‘>’ (greater than), ‘<' (less than), and 'BETWEEN'. In contrast, queries that use functions on columns, such as 'YEAR(date)', or that employ operators like 'LIKE' with a wildcard at the beginning, tend to be non-SARGable, meaning they cannot effectively benefit from indexes. Creating SARGable queries is a best practice in database optimization, as it can significantly reduce response time and improve the overall efficiency of search operations.
