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REL7_1_STABLE
Tom Lane 25 years ago
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  1. 154
      doc/src/sgml/queries.sgml

154
doc/src/sgml/queries.sgml
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@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
<!-- $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/queries.sgml,v 1.2 2001/02/01 19:13:47 momjian Exp $ -->
<!-- $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/queries.sgml,v 1.3 2001/02/10 08:30:13 tgl Exp $ -->
<chapter id="queries">
<title>Queries</title>
<para>
A <firstterm>query</firstterm> is the process of or the command to
retrieve data from a database. In SQL the <command>SELECT</command>
A <firstterm>query</firstterm> is the process of retrieving or the command
to retrieve data from a database. In SQL the <command>SELECT</command>
command is used to specify queries. The general syntax of the
<command>SELECT</command> command is
<synopsis>
@ -65,11 +65,11 @@ SELECT random();
</para>
<para>
The WHERE, GROUP BY, and HAVING clauses in the table expression
The optional WHERE, GROUP BY, and HAVING clauses in the table expression
specify a pipeline of successive transformations performed on the
table derived in the FROM clause. The final transformed table that
is derived provides the input rows used to derive output rows as
specified by the select list of derived column value expressions.
table derived in the FROM clause. The derived table that is produced by
all these transformations provides the input rows used to compute output
rows as specified by the select list of column value expressions.
</para>
<sect2 id="queries-from">
@ -91,10 +91,12 @@ FROM <replaceable>table_reference</replaceable> <optional>, <replaceable>table_r
</para>
<para>
If a table reference is a simple table name and it is the
supertable in a table inheritance hierarchy, rows of the table
include rows from all of its subtable successors unless the
keyword ONLY precedes the table name.
When a table reference names a table that is the
supertable of a table inheritance hierarchy, the table reference
produces rows of not only that table but all of its subtable successors,
unless the keyword ONLY precedes the table name. However, the reference
produces only the columns that appear in the named table --- any columns
added in subtables are ignored.
</para>
<sect3 id="queries-join">
@ -124,7 +126,7 @@ FROM <replaceable>table_reference</replaceable> <optional>, <replaceable>table_r
row consisting of all columns in <replaceable>T1</replaceable>
followed by all columns in <replaceable>T2</replaceable>. If
the tables have have N and M rows respectively, the joined
table will have N * M rows. A cross join is essentially an
table will have N * M rows. A cross join is equivalent to an
<literal>INNER JOIN ON TRUE</literal>.
</para>
@ -189,11 +191,11 @@ FROM <replaceable>table_reference</replaceable> <optional>, <replaceable>table_r
<listitem>
<para>
First, an INNER JOIN is performed. Then, for a row in T1
First, an INNER JOIN is performed. Then, for each row in T1
that does not satisfy the join condition with any row in
T2, a joined row is returned with NULL values in columns of
T2. Thus, the joined table unconditionally has a row for each
row in T1.
T2. Thus, the joined table unconditionally has at least one
row for each row in T1.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
@ -203,7 +205,7 @@ FROM <replaceable>table_reference</replaceable> <optional>, <replaceable>table_r
<listitem>
<para>
This is like a left join, only that the result table will
This is the converse of a left join: the result table will
unconditionally have a row for each row in T2.
</para>
</listitem>
@ -237,19 +239,19 @@ FROM <replaceable>table_reference</replaceable> <optional>, <replaceable>table_r
<para>
A natural join creates a joined table where every pair of matching
column names between the two tables are merged into one column. The
join specification is effectively a USING clause containing all the
common column names and is otherwise like a Qualified JOIN.
result is the same as a qualified join with a USING clause that lists
all the common column names of the two tables.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
<para>
Joins of all types can be chained together or nested where either
Joins of all types can be chained together or nested: either
or both of <replaceable>T1</replaceable> and
<replaceable>T2</replaceable> may be JOINed tables. Parenthesis
can be used around JOIN clauses to control the join order which
are otherwise left to right.
<replaceable>T2</replaceable> may be JOINed tables. Parentheses
may be used around JOIN clauses to control the join order. In the
absence of parentheses, JOIN clauses nest left-to-right.
</para>
</sect3>
@ -258,7 +260,7 @@ FROM <replaceable>table_reference</replaceable> <optional>, <replaceable>table_r
<para>
Subqueries specifying a derived table must be enclosed in
parenthesis and <emphasis>must</emphasis> be named using an AS
parentheses and <emphasis>must</emphasis> be named using an AS
clause. (See <xref linkend="queries-table-aliases">.)
</para>
@ -287,17 +289,17 @@ FROM <replaceable>table_reference</replaceable> AS <replaceable>alias</replaceab
Here, <replaceable>alias</replaceable> can be any regular
identifier. The alias becomes the new name of the table
reference for the current query -- it is no longer possible to
refer to the table by the original name (if the table reference
was an ordinary base table). Thus
refer to the table by the original name. Thus
<programlisting>
SELECT * FROM my_table AS m WHERE my_table.a > 5;
</programlisting>
is not valid SQL syntax. What will happen instead, as a
<productname>Postgres</productname> extension, is that an implicit
is not valid SQL syntax. What will actually happen (this is a
<productname>Postgres</productname> extension to the standard)
is that an implicit
table reference is added to the FROM clause, so the query is
processed as if it was written as
processed as if it were written as
<programlisting>
SELECT * FROM my_table AS m, my_table WHERE my_table.a > 5;
SELECT * FROM my_table AS m, my_table AS my_table WHERE my_table.a > 5;
</programlisting>
Table aliases are mainly for notational convenience, but it is
necessary to use them when joining a table to itself, e.g.,
@ -309,7 +311,7 @@ SELECT * FROM my_table AS a CROSS JOIN my_table AS b ...
</para>
<para>
Parenthesis are used to resolve ambiguities. The following
Parentheses are used to resolve ambiguities. The following
statement will assign the alias <literal>b</literal> to the
result of the join, unlike the previous example:
<programlisting>
@ -321,7 +323,7 @@ SELECT * FROM (my_table AS a CROSS JOIN my_table) AS b ...
<synopsis>
FROM <replaceable>table_reference</replaceable> <replaceable>alias</replaceable>
</synopsis>
This form is equivalent the previously treated one; the
This form is equivalent to the previously treated one; the
<token>AS</token> key word is noise.
</para>
@ -330,8 +332,9 @@ FROM <replaceable>table_reference</replaceable> <replaceable>alias</replaceable>
FROM <replaceable>table_reference</replaceable> <optional>AS</optional> <replaceable>alias</replaceable> ( <replaceable>column1</replaceable> <optional>, <replaceable>column2</replaceable> <optional>, ...</optional></optional> )
</synopsis>
In addition to renaming the table as described above, the columns
of the table are also given temporary names. If less column
aliases are specified than the actual table has columns, the last
of the table are also given temporary names for use by the surrounding
query. If fewer column
aliases are specified than the actual table has columns, the remaining
columns are not renamed. This syntax is especially useful for
self-joins or subqueries.
</para>
@ -359,7 +362,7 @@ FROM (SELECT * FROM T1) DT1, T2, T3
Above are some examples of joined tables and complex derived
tables. Notice how the AS clause renames or names a derived
table and how the optional comma-separated list of column names
that follows gives names or renames the columns. The last two
that follows renames the columns. The last two
FROM clauses produce the same derived table from T1, T2, and T3.
The AS keyword was omitted in naming the subquery as DT1. The
keywords OUTER and INNER are noise that can be omitted also.
@ -410,7 +413,10 @@ FROM a NATURAL JOIN b WHERE b.val &gt; 5
Which one of these you use is mainly a matter of style. The JOIN
syntax in the FROM clause is probably not as portable to other
products. For outer joins there is no choice in any case: they
must be done in the FROM clause.
must be done in the FROM clause. An outer join's ON/USING clause
is <emphasis>not</> equivalent to a WHERE condition, because it
determines the addition of rows (for unmatched input rows) as well
as the removal of rows from the final result.
</para>
</note>
@ -439,7 +445,7 @@ FROM FDT WHERE
subqueries as value expressions (C2 assumed UNIQUE). Just like
any other query, the subqueries can employ complex table
expressions. Notice how FDT is referenced in the subqueries.
Qualifying C1 as FDT.C1 is only necessary if C1 is the name of a
Qualifying C1 as FDT.C1 is only necessary if C1 is also the name of a
column in the derived input table of the subquery. Qualifying the
column name adds clarity even when it is not needed. The column
naming scope of an outer query extends into its inner queries.
@ -471,17 +477,17 @@ SELECT <replaceable>select_list</replaceable> FROM ... <optional>WHERE ...</opti
</para>
<para>
Once a table is grouped, columns that are not included in the
grouping cannot be referenced, except in aggregate expressions,
Once a table is grouped, columns that are not used in the
grouping cannot be referenced except in aggregate expressions,
since a specific value in those columns is ambiguous - which row
in the group should it come from? The grouped-by columns can be
referenced in select list column expressions since they have a
known constant value per group. Aggregate functions on the
ungrouped columns provide values that span the rows of a group,
not of the whole table. For instance, a
<function>sum(sales)</function> on a grouped table by product code
<function>sum(sales)</function> on a table grouped by product code
gives the total sales for each product, not the total sales on all
products. The aggregates of the ungrouped columns are
products. Aggregates computed on the ungrouped columns are
representative of the group, whereas their individual values may
not be.
</para>
@ -516,12 +522,12 @@ SELECT <replaceable>select_list</replaceable> FROM ... <optional>WHERE ...</opti
If a table has been grouped using a GROUP BY clause, but then only
certain groups are of interest, the HAVING clause can be used,
much like a WHERE clause, to eliminate groups from a grouped
table. For some queries, Postgres allows a HAVING clause to be
used without a GROUP BY and then it acts just like another WHERE
clause, but the point in using HAVING that way is not clear. Since
HAVING operates on groups, only grouped columns can be listed in
the HAVING clause. If selection based on some ungrouped column is
desired, it should be expressed in the WHERE clause.
table. Postgres allows a HAVING clause to be
used without a GROUP BY, in which case it acts like another WHERE
clause, but the point in using HAVING that way is not clear. A good
rule of thumb is that a HAVING condition should refer to the results
of aggregate functions. A restriction that does not involve an
aggregate is more efficiently expressed in the WHERE clause.
</para>
<para>
@ -533,11 +539,11 @@ SELECT pid AS "Products",
FROM products p LEFT JOIN sales s USING ( pid )
WHERE s.date > CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '4 weeks'
GROUP BY pid, p.name, p.price, p.cost
HAVING p.price > 5000;
HAVING sum(p.price * s.units) > 5000;
</programlisting>
In the example above, the WHERE clause is selecting rows by a
column that is not grouped, while the HAVING clause
is selecting groups with a price greater than 5000.
restricts the output to groups with total gross sales over 5000.
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
@ -552,8 +558,8 @@ SELECT pid AS "Products",
tables, views, eliminating rows, grouping, etc. This table is
finally passed on to processing by the select list. The select
list determines which <emphasis>columns</emphasis> of the
intermediate table are retained. The simplest kind of select list
is <literal>*</literal> which retains all columns that the table
intermediate table are actually output. The simplest kind of select list
is <literal>*</literal> which emits all columns that the table
expression produces. Otherwise, a select list is a comma-separated
list of value expressions (as defined in <xref
linkend="sql-expressions">). For instance, it could be a list of
@ -562,7 +568,7 @@ SELECT pid AS "Products",
SELECT a, b, c FROM ...
</programlisting>
The columns names a, b, and c are either the actual names of the
columns of table referenced in the FROM clause, or the aliases
columns of tables referenced in the FROM clause, or the aliases
given to them as explained in <xref linkend="queries-table-aliases">.
The name space available in the select list is the same as in the
WHERE clause (unless grouping is used, in which case it is the same
@ -578,9 +584,9 @@ SELECT tbl1.a, tbl2.b, tbl1.c FROM ...
If an arbitrary value expression is used in the select list, it
conceptually adds a new virtual column to the returned table. The
value expression is effectively evaluated once for each retrieved
row with real values substituted for any column references. But
row, with the row's values substituted for any column references. But
the expressions in the select list do not have to reference any
columns in the table expression of the FROM clause; they can be
columns in the table expression of the FROM clause; they could be
constant arithmetic expressions as well, for instance.
</para>
@ -595,12 +601,12 @@ SELECT tbl1.a, tbl2.b, tbl1.c FROM ...
<programlisting>
SELECT a AS value, b + c AS sum FROM ...
</programlisting>
The AS key word can in fact be omitted.
</para>
<para>
If no name is chosen, the system assigns a default. For simple
column references, this is the name of the column. For function
If no output column name is specified via AS, the system assigns a
default name. For simple column references, this is the name of the
referenced column. For function
calls, this is the name of the function. For complex expressions,
the system will generate a generic name.
</para>
@ -634,7 +640,7 @@ SELECT DISTINCT <replaceable>select_list</replaceable> ...
<para>
Obviously, two rows are considered distinct if they differ in at
least one column value. NULLs are considered equal in this
consideration.
comparison.
</para>
<para>
@ -645,18 +651,21 @@ SELECT DISTINCT ON (<replaceable>expression</replaceable> <optional>, <replaceab
</synopsis>
Here <replaceable>expression</replaceable> is an arbitrary value
expression that is evaluated for all rows. A set of rows for
which all the expressions is equal are considered duplicates and
only the first row is kept in the output. Note that the
which all the expressions are equal are considered duplicates, and
only the first row of the set is kept in the output. Note that the
<quote>first row</quote> of a set is unpredictable unless the
query is sorted.
query is sorted on enough columns to guarantee a unique ordering
of the rows arriving at the DISTINCT filter. (DISTINCT ON processing
occurs after ORDER BY sorting.)
</para>
<para>
The DISTINCT ON clause is not part of the SQL standard and is
sometimes considered bad style because of the indeterminate nature
sometimes considered bad style because of the potentially indeterminate
nature
of its results. With judicious use of GROUP BY and subselects in
FROM the construct can be avoided, but it is very often the much
more convenient alternative.
FROM the construct can be avoided, but it is very often the most
convenient alternative.
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
@ -689,9 +698,9 @@ SELECT DISTINCT ON (<replaceable>expression</replaceable> <optional>, <replaceab
<command>UNION</command> effectively appends the result of
<replaceable>query2</replaceable> to the result of
<replaceable>query1</replaceable> (although there is no guarantee
that this is the order in which the rows are actually returned) and
eliminates all duplicate rows, in the sense of DISTINCT, unless ALL
is specified.
that this is the order in which the rows are actually returned).
Furthermore, it eliminates all duplicate rows, in the sense of DISTINCT,
unless ALL is specified.
</para>
<para>
@ -727,7 +736,7 @@ SELECT DISTINCT ON (<replaceable>expression</replaceable> <optional>, <replaceab
chosen, the rows will be returned in random order. The actual
order in that case will depend on the scan and join plan types and
the order on disk, but it must not be relied on. A particular
ordering can only be guaranteed if the sort step is explicitly
output ordering can only be guaranteed if the sort step is explicitly
chosen.
</para>
@ -737,8 +746,7 @@ SELECT DISTINCT ON (<replaceable>expression</replaceable> <optional>, <replaceab
SELECT <replaceable>select_list</replaceable> FROM <replaceable>table_expression</replaceable> ORDER BY <replaceable>column1</replaceable> <optional>ASC | DESC</optional> <optional>, <replaceable>column2</replaceable> <optional>ASC | DESC</optional> ...</optional>
</synopsis>
<replaceable>column1</replaceable>, etc., refer to select list
columns: It can either be the name of a column (either the
explicit column label or default name, as explained in <xref
columns. These can be either the output name of a column (see
linkend="queries-column-labels">) or the number of a column. Some
examples:
<programlisting>
@ -759,8 +767,8 @@ SELECT a, b FROM table1 ORDER BY a + b;
<programlisting>
SELECT a AS b FROM table1 ORDER BY a;
</programlisting>
But this does not work in queries involving UNION, INTERSECT, or
EXCEPT, and is not portable.
But these extensions do not work in queries involving UNION, INTERSECT,
or EXCEPT, and are not portable to other DBMSes.
</para>
<para>
@ -773,8 +781,8 @@ SELECT a AS b FROM table1 ORDER BY a;
</para>
<para>
If more than one sort column is specified the later entries are
used to sort the rows that are equal under the order imposed by the
If more than one sort column is specified, the later entries are
used to sort rows that are equal under the order imposed by the
earlier sort specifications.
</para>
</sect1>

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