Most major RDBMSs support the DISTINCT clause, which allows us to get unique – or “distinct” – rows from our SQL queries. But PostgreSQL’s implementation of this clause has an extra option that most other RDBMSs don’t include.
PostgreSQL allows us to include the ON() option when using DISTINCT. This enables us to specify exactly which columns should be evaluated by the DISTINCT modifier, while simultaneously allowing us to return columns that aren’t evaluated.
If you’re getting a PostgreSQL error that reads “SELECT DISTINCT ON expressions must match initial ORDER BY expressions” when trying to run a query, it’s probably because the initial columns provided to your ORDER BY clause are different to the ones provided to the DISTINCT ON clause.
To fix this error, make sure the initial columns provided to the ORDER BY clause are included in the DISTINCT ON clause.
MySQL includes some nonaggregate window functions that allow us to get a value from a specific row. We can use such functions to do things like, compare the value in the specified row with the value in the current row, even if both values are in the same column.
Below are five functions that we can use to do this.
Continue readingMany RDBMSs have a LIMIT clause that allows us to limit the rows returned by a query to a specified number. SQL Server doesn’t have a LIMIT clause but it does have a TOP() function that allows us to do the same thing.
But Oracle Database has neither.
Fortunately, Oracle does have a number of options that allow us to get the same result.
Continue readingMany SQL databases have a window function called NTILE() function that divides a rowset or partition into a given number of groups (buckets). The function typically returns the bucket number of the current row within its partition.
If you’re getting error message 4112 that reads “The function ‘FIRST_VALUE’ must have an OVER clause with ORDER BY” when using the FIRST_VALUE() function, it’s probably because you’re omitting the ORDER BY clause from the OVER clause.
In SQL Server, the FIRST_VALUE() function requires an OVER clause that contains an ORDER BY clause. This error happens when we provide the OVER clause but not the ORDER BY clause.
To fix this error, simply add an ORDER BY clause to the OVER clause.
Most of the major relational database management systems (RDBMSs) allow for a DISTINCT clause to be included in our SQL queries.
We use the DISTINCT keyword to return only unique rows. It eliminates duplicates from the results. If we have two or more rows with exactly the same data, we’ll only see one row in the results.
In Oracle Database, we can use the OFFSET clause to make a SELECT statement skip a certain number of rows in its result set.
The OFFSET clause is defined as part of the FETCH row limiting clause, which allows us to limit the number of rows returned by a query.
We can therefore use both OFFSET and FETCH to limit the output to just the specified number or percentage of rows, at a specified offset.
If you’re getting an error that reads “A TOP can not be used in the same query or sub-query as a OFFSET” when running a query in SQL Server, it’s probably because you’re using the TOP() clause and the OFFSET clause in the same query or sub-query.
We can’t use the TOP() clause and the OFFSET clause in the same query in SQL Server.
Below are three options for fixing this error.
Continue readingThe LAG() function is a window function that’s available in many SQL databases. It returns the value of a given expression from the row that lags (precedes) the current row by a given number of rows within its partition.
In other words, the LAG() function returns a value from a previous row.