When you enter or search for character and date data, you must enclose it in single quotes, as in the following example.

SELECT GivenName, Surname
   FROM Contacts
   WHERE GivenName = 'John';

If the quoted_identifier database option is set to Off (it is On by default), you can also use double quotes around character or date data.

The quoted_identifier option is provided for compatibility with Adaptive Server Enterprise. By default, the Adaptive Server Enterprise option is quoted_identifier Off and the SQL Anywhere option is quoted_identifier On. See quoted_identifier option [compatibility].

Quotation marks in strings

There are two ways to specify literal quotations within a character entry. The first method is to use two consecutive quotation marks. For example, if you have begun a character entry with a single quotation mark and want to include a single quotation mark as part of the entry, use two single quotation marks:

'I don''t understand.'

With double quotation marks (quoted_identifier Off), specify:

"He said, ""It is not really confusing."""

The second method, applicable only with quoted_identifier Off, is to enclose a quotation in the other kind of quotation mark. In other words, surround an entry containing double quotation marks with single quotation marks, or vice versa. Here are some examples:

'George said, "There must be a better way."'
"Isn't there a better way?"
'George asked, "Isn''t there a better way?"'