# Operators

&& Returns `TRUE` if A's bounding box overlaps B's.
boolean `&&` geometry A geometry B boolean `&&` geography A geography B

### Description

The `&&` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry A overlaps the bounding box of geometry B.

This operand will make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

Availability: 1.5.0 support for geography was introduced.

&curve_support;

### Examples

    SELECT tbl1.column1, tbl2.column1, tbl1.column2 && tbl2.column2 AS overlaps
    FROM ( VALUES
    	(1, 'LINESTRING(0 0, 3 3)'::geometry),
    	(2, 'LINESTRING(0 1, 0 5)'::geometry)) AS tbl1,
    ( VALUES
    	(3, 'LINESTRING(1 2, 4 6)'::geometry)) AS tbl2;

     column1 | column1 | overlaps
    ---------+---------+----------
    	   1 |       3 | t
    	   2 |       3 | f
    (2 rows)

### See Also

, , , , ,

&< Returns `TRUE` if A's bounding box overlaps or is to the left of B's.
boolean `&<` geometry A geometry B

### Description

The `&<` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry A overlaps or is to the left of the bounding box of geometry B, or more accurately, overlaps or is NOT to the right of the bounding box of geometry B.

This operand will make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

### Examples

    SELECT tbl1.column1, tbl2.column1, tbl1.column2 &< tbl2.column2 AS overleft
    FROM
      ( VALUES
    	(1, 'LINESTRING(1 2, 4 6)'::geometry)) AS tbl1,
      ( VALUES
    	(2, 'LINESTRING(0 0, 3 3)'::geometry),
    	(3, 'LINESTRING(0 1, 0 5)'::geometry),
    	(4, 'LINESTRING(6 0, 6 1)'::geometry)) AS tbl2;

     column1 | column1 | overleft
    ---------+---------+----------
    	   1 |       2 | f
    	   1 |       3 | f
    	   1 |       4 | t
    (3 rows)

### See Also

, , ,

&<| Returns `TRUE` if A's bounding box overlaps or is below B's.
boolean `&<|` geometry A geometry B

### Description

The `&<|` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry A overlaps or is below of the bounding box of geometry B, or more accurately, overlaps or is NOT above the bounding box of geometry B.

&curve_support;

This operand will make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

### Examples

    SELECT tbl1.column1, tbl2.column1, tbl1.column2 &<| tbl2.column2 AS overbelow
    FROM
      ( VALUES
    	(1, 'LINESTRING(6 0, 6 4)'::geometry)) AS tbl1,
      ( VALUES
    	(2, 'LINESTRING(0 0, 3 3)'::geometry),
    	(3, 'LINESTRING(0 1, 0 5)'::geometry),
    	(4, 'LINESTRING(1 2, 4 6)'::geometry)) AS tbl2;

     column1 | column1 | overbelow
    ---------+---------+-----------
    	   1 |       2 | f
    	   1 |       3 | t
    	   1 |       4 | t
    (3 rows)

### See Also

, , ,

&> Returns `TRUE` if A' bounding box overlaps or is to the right of B's.
boolean `&>` geometry A geometry B

### Description

The `&>` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry A overlaps or is to the right of the bounding box of geometry B, or more accurately, overlaps or is NOT to the left of the bounding box of geometry B.

This operand will make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

### Examples

    SELECT tbl1.column1, tbl2.column1, tbl1.column2 &> tbl2.column2 AS overright
    FROM
      ( VALUES
    	(1, 'LINESTRING(1 2, 4 6)'::geometry)) AS tbl1,
      ( VALUES
    	(2, 'LINESTRING(0 0, 3 3)'::geometry),
    	(3, 'LINESTRING(0 1, 0 5)'::geometry),
    	(4, 'LINESTRING(6 0, 6 1)'::geometry)) AS tbl2;

     column1 | column1 | overright
    ---------+---------+-----------
    	   1 |       2 | t
    	   1 |       3 | t
    	   1 |       4 | f
    (3 rows)

### See Also

, , ,

<< Returns `TRUE` if A's bounding box is strictly to the left of B's.
boolean `<<` geometry A geometry B

### Description

The `<<` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry A is strictly to the left of the bounding box of geometry B.

This operand will make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

### Examples

    SELECT tbl1.column1, tbl2.column1, tbl1.column2 << tbl2.column2 AS left
    FROM
      ( VALUES
    	(1, 'LINESTRING (1 2, 1 5)'::geometry)) AS tbl1,
      ( VALUES
    	(2, 'LINESTRING (0 0, 4 3)'::geometry),
    	(3, 'LINESTRING (6 0, 6 5)'::geometry),
    	(4, 'LINESTRING (2 2, 5 6)'::geometry)) AS tbl2;

     column1 | column1 | left
    ---------+---------+------
    	   1 |       2 | f
    	   1 |       3 | t
    	   1 |       4 | t
    (3 rows)

### See Also

, ,

<<| Returns `TRUE` if A's bounding box is strictly below B's.
boolean `<<|` geometry A geometry B

### Description

The `<<|` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry A is strictly below the bounding box of geometry B.

This operand will make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

### Examples

    SELECT tbl1.column1, tbl2.column1, tbl1.column2 <<| tbl2.column2 AS below
    FROM
      ( VALUES
    	(1, 'LINESTRING (0 0, 4 3)'::geometry)) AS tbl1,
      ( VALUES
    	(2, 'LINESTRING (1 4, 1 7)'::geometry),
    	(3, 'LINESTRING (6 1, 6 5)'::geometry),
    	(4, 'LINESTRING (2 3, 5 6)'::geometry)) AS tbl2;

     column1 | column1 | below
    ---------+---------+-------
    	   1 |       2 | t
    	   1 |       3 | f
    	   1 |       4 | f
    (3 rows)

### See Also

, ,

= Returns `TRUE` if A's bounding box is the same as B's.
boolean `=` geometry A geometry B boolean `=` geography A geography B

### Description

The `=` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry/geography A is the same as the bounding box of geometry/geography B. PostgreSQL uses the =, <, and > operators defined for geometries to perform internal orderings and comparison of geometries (ie. in a GROUP BY or ORDER BY clause).

This is cause for a lot of confusion. When you compare geometryA = geometryB it will return true even when the geometries are clearly different IF their bounding boxes are the same. To check for true equality use or

This operand will NOT make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

&curve_support;

### Examples

    SELECT 'LINESTRING(0 0, 0 1, 1 0)'::geometry = 'LINESTRING(1 1, 0 0)'::geometry;
     ?column?
    ----------
     t
    (1 row)

    SELECT ST_AsText(column1)
    FROM ( VALUES
    	('LINESTRING(0 0, 1 1)'::geometry),
    	('LINESTRING(1 1, 0 0)'::geometry)) AS foo;
    	  st_astext
    ---------------------
     LINESTRING(0 0,1 1)
     LINESTRING(1 1,0 0)
    (2 rows)

    -- Note: the GROUP BY uses the "=" to compare for geometry equivalency.
    SELECT ST_AsText(column1)
    FROM ( VALUES
    	('LINESTRING(0 0, 1 1)'::geometry),
    	('LINESTRING(1 1, 0 0)'::geometry)) AS foo
    GROUP BY column1;
    	  st_astext
    ---------------------
     LINESTRING(0 0,1 1)
    (1 row)

### See Also

, ,

>> Returns `TRUE` if A's bounding box is strictly to the right of B's.
boolean `>>` geometry A geometry B

### Description

The `>>` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry A is strictly to the right of the bounding box of geometry B.

This operand will make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

### Examples

    SELECT tbl1.column1, tbl2.column1, tbl1.column2 >> tbl2.column2 AS right
    FROM
      ( VALUES
    	(1, 'LINESTRING (2 3, 5 6)'::geometry)) AS tbl1,
      ( VALUES
    	(2, 'LINESTRING (1 4, 1 7)'::geometry),
    	(3, 'LINESTRING (6 1, 6 5)'::geometry),
    	(4, 'LINESTRING (0 0, 4 3)'::geometry)) AS tbl2;

     column1 | column1 | right
    ---------+---------+-------
    	   1 |       2 | t
    	   1 |       3 | f
    	   1 |       4 | f
    (3 rows)

### See Also

, ,

@ Returns `TRUE` if A's bounding box is contained by B's.
boolean `@` geometry A geometry B

### Description

The `@` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry A is completely contained by the bounding box of geometry B.

This operand will make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

### Examples

    SELECT tbl1.column1, tbl2.column1, tbl1.column2 @ tbl2.column2 AS contained
    FROM
      ( VALUES
    	(1, 'LINESTRING (1 1, 3 3)'::geometry)) AS tbl1,
      ( VALUES
    	(2, 'LINESTRING (0 0, 4 4)'::geometry),
    	(3, 'LINESTRING (2 2, 4 4)'::geometry),
    	(4, 'LINESTRING (1 1, 3 3)'::geometry)) AS tbl2;

     column1 | column1 | contained
    ---------+---------+-----------
    	   1 |       2 | t
    	   1 |       3 | f
    	   1 |       4 | t
    (3 rows)

### See Also

,

|&> Returns `TRUE` if A's bounding box overlaps or is above B's.
boolean `|&>` geometry A geometry B

### Description

The `|&>` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry A overlaps or is above the bounding box of geometry B, or more accurately, overlaps or is NOT below the bounding box of geometry B.

This operand will make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

### Examples

    SELECT tbl1.column1, tbl2.column1, tbl1.column2 |&> tbl2.column2 AS overabove
    FROM
      ( VALUES
    	(1, 'LINESTRING(6 0, 6 4)'::geometry)) AS tbl1,
      ( VALUES
    	(2, 'LINESTRING(0 0, 3 3)'::geometry),
    	(3, 'LINESTRING(0 1, 0 5)'::geometry),
    	(4, 'LINESTRING(1 2, 4 6)'::geometry)) AS tbl2;

     column1 | column1 | overabove
    ---------+---------+-----------
    	   1 |       2 | t
    	   1 |       3 | f
    	   1 |       4 | f
    (3 rows)

### See Also

, , ,

|>> Returns `TRUE` if A's bounding box is strictly above B's.
boolean `|>>` geometry A geometry B

### Description

The `|>>` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry A is strictly to the right of the bounding box of geometry B.

This operand will make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

### Examples

    SELECT tbl1.column1, tbl2.column1, tbl1.column2 |>> tbl2.column2 AS above
    FROM
      ( VALUES
    	(1, 'LINESTRING (1 4, 1 7)'::geometry)) AS tbl1,
      ( VALUES
    	(2, 'LINESTRING (0 0, 4 2)'::geometry),
    	(3, 'LINESTRING (6 1, 6 5)'::geometry),
    	(4, 'LINESTRING (2 3, 5 6)'::geometry)) AS tbl2;

     column1 | column1 | above
    ---------+---------+-------
    	   1 |       2 | t
    	   1 |       3 | f
    	   1 |       4 | f
    (3 rows)

### See Also

, ,

~ Returns `TRUE` if A's bounding box contains B's.
boolean `~` geometry A geometry B

### Description

The `~` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry A completely contains the bounding box of geometry B.

This operand will make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

### Examples

    SELECT tbl1.column1, tbl2.column1, tbl1.column2 ~ tbl2.column2 AS contains
    FROM
      ( VALUES
    	(1, 'LINESTRING (0 0, 3 3)'::geometry)) AS tbl1,
      ( VALUES
    	(2, 'LINESTRING (0 0, 4 4)'::geometry),
    	(3, 'LINESTRING (1 1, 2 2)'::geometry),
    	(4, 'LINESTRING (0 0, 3 3)'::geometry)) AS tbl2;

     column1 | column1 | contains
    ---------+---------+----------
    	   1 |       2 | f
    	   1 |       3 | t
    	   1 |       4 | t
    (3 rows)

### See Also

,

~= Returns `TRUE` if A's bounding box is the same as B's.
boolean `~=` geometry A geometry B

### Description

The `~=` operator returns `TRUE` if the bounding box of geometry/geography A is the same as the bounding box of geometry/geography B.

This operand will make use of any indexes that may be available on the geometries.

Availability: 1.5.0 changed behavior

This operator has changed behavior in PostGIS 1.5 from testing for actual geometric equality to only checking for bounding box equality. To complicate things it also depends on if you have done a hard or soft upgrade which behavior your database has. To find out which behavior your database has you can run the query below. To check for true equality use or and to check for bounding box equality ; operator is a safer option.

### Examples

    select 'LINESTRING(0 0, 1 1)'::geometry ~= 'LINESTRING(0 1, 1 0)'::geometry as equality;
     equality   |
    -----------------+
              t    |

The above can be used to test if you have the new or old behavior of ~= operator.

### See Also

, ,