Common Table Expressions (CTEs): And Usage
Have you ever written a long SQL query or subquery that became hard to read or understand? If you have, then you likely already know that debugging and maintaining complex queries can be a nightmare.
But what if we told you that there is a way to make your SQL queries more concise and readable, without sacrificing functionality, and that it’s called Common Table Expressions (CTEs)? In this article, we will elaborate on the benefits of CTEs, their syntax, and their usefulness to make your SQL queries cleaner and easier to understand.
What are Common Table Expressions and What is Their Purpose?
A Common Table Expression, commonly known as CTE, is a named temporary result set that you can reference within a SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statement.
CTEs are achieved using a WITH clause, which is a useful tool that makes complex queries simple, allowing programmers to write better code. CTEs are especially useful in situations where you need to reference a subquery several times in a query.
CTEs can also be used to make a query more readable since they separate the query itself from other operations.
Basic Syntax of CTEs
The basic syntax of CTEs includes the keyword “WITH,” followed by the CTE name, and a SELECT statement using the AS keyword. Here’s an example of a simple CTE:
WITH sales AS
(
SELECT prod_name, sum(quantity) as total_quantity
FROM order_details
GROUP BY prod_name
)
SELECT *
FROM sales
WHERE total_quantity > 1000;
In the example above, the CTE name is sales. The SELECT statement returns the total quantity per product name from order details table.
Then, the main query filters the result where total_quantity is greater than 1000.
Additional Features of CTEs
Multiple CTEs
You can use multiple CTEs in a single query by separating each CTE with commas after the WITH keyword. Here’s an example to demonstrate this:
WITH total_sales AS
(
SELECT category, sum(price) as total
FROM products
GROUP BY category
),
average_sales AS
(
SELECT category, AVG(total) as average
FROM total_sales
GROUP BY category
)
SELECT average, category
FROM average_sales
In the example above, two CTEs are utilized: total_sales and average_sales. The first CTE calculates the total sales per category.
Then, the second CTE computes the average sale per category.
Nested CTEs
Nested CTEs are CTEs that refer to other CTEs within the same query. Here’s an example to demonstrate this:
WITH total_sales AS
(
SELECT category, sum(price) as total
FROM products
GROUP BY category
),
average_sales AS
(
SELECT category, AVG(total) as average
FROM total_sales
GROUP BY category
),
diff AS
(
SELECT a.category, a.average-b.total as difference
FROM average_sales a
JOIN total_sales b
ON a.category = b.category
)
SELECT *
FROM
(
SELECT *, RANK() OVER (PARTITION BY category ORDER BY difference DESC) as ranking
FROM diff
) s
WHERE ranking <=3;
The example above has three CTEs, one for total_sales, one for average_sales, and one named diff. The query is selecting the top three categories with the biggest difference in average sales by utilizing the Ranking function.
Recursive CTEs
Recursive CTEs are utilized in hierarchical data structures and can derive from a single table. It’s commonly used for data that has a direct parent-child relationship.
Recursive CTE creates a loop to compare the ID of the child and parent to create a cohesive hierarchy. Here’s an example to demonstrate this:
WITH emp_cities
(ID, name, City, Boss_ID) AS
(
SELECT ID, name, City, Boss_ID
FROM employees
WHERE Boss_ID IS NULL
UNION ALL
SELECT e.ID, e.name, e.City, e.Boss_ID
FROM employees e
JOIN emp_cities ec ON ec.ID = e.Boss_ID
)
SELECT ID, name, City, Boss_ID
FROM emp_cities
ORDER BY ID;
The example above has a single CTE named emp_cities. The query selects the employees’ ID, name, City, and Boss_ID from a table named employees and sorts them in ascending order of ID.
SQL CTE Examples
CTEs aren’t just used to simplify your code; they can also enhance the effectiveness of your queries. Here are five SQL CTE examples that demonstrate the real-world usage of CTEs.
Example 1: Comparing Order Amounts to Store Averages
In this example, we use CTEs to compare the order amounts to store averages.
WITH store_averages AS
(
SELECT store_id, AVG(amount) as store_average
FROM orders
GROUP BY store_id
),
order_details AS
(
SELECT store_id, order_id, amount
FROM orders
)
SELECT o.order_id, o.store_id, o.amount, s.store_average
FROM order_details o
JOIN store_averages s
ON o.store_id = s.store_id
WHERE o.amount > s.store_average;
Example 2: Comparing Store Averages to Overall Average
In this example, we use CTEs to compare store averages to overall averages
WITH store_averages AS
(
SELECT store_id, AVG(amount) as store_average
FROM orders
GROUP BY store_id
),
overall_average AS
(
SELECT AVG(amount) as overall_average
FROM orders
)
SELECT *
FROM store_averages s
CROSS JOIN overall_average o
WHERE s.store_average > o.overall_average;
Example 3: Counting Big and Small Orders by Store
In this example, we use CTEs to count big and small orders by store.
WITH order_details AS
(
SELECT store_id, amount
FROM orders
)
SELECT store_id, COUNT(CASE WHEN amount > 1000 THEN amount END) as big_orders,
COUNT(CASE WHEN amount <= 1000 THEN amount END) as small_orders
FROM order_details
GROUP BY store_id;
Example 4: Analyzing Bonuses by Department
In this example, we use CTEs to analyze bonuses by department.
WITH dept_salary AS
(
SELECT d.dept_name, AVG(e.salary) as dept_avg_salary
FROM departments d JOIN employees e
ON d.dept_id = e.dept_id
GROUP BY d.dept_name
),
dept_bonuses AS
(
SELECT d.dept_name, AVG(e.bonus) as dept_avg_bonus
FROM departments d JOIN employees e
ON d.dept_id = e.dept_id
GROUP BY d.dept_name
)
SELECT a.dept_name, a.dept_avg_salary, b.dept_avg_bonus
FROM dept_salary a LEFT JOIN dept_bonuses b
ON a.dept_name = b.dept_name;
Example 5: Analyzing Organizational Hierarchy with Recursive CTEs
In this example, we use a recursive CTE to analyze the organizational hierarchy of employees.
WITH hierarchical_tree AS
(
SELECT emp_id, name, boss_id, level=0
FROM employees
WHERE boss_id IS NULL
UNION ALL
SELECT e.emp_id, e.name, e.boss_id, level+1
FROM employees e
JOIN hierarchical_tree ht
ON e.boss_id = ht.emp_id
)
SELECT emp_id, name, boss_id, level
FROM hierarchical_tree
ORDER BY emp_id;
Conclusion
In conclusion, CTEs can be a powerful tool that can help make your SQL queries more concise, readable, and performant. The syntax for CTEs is relatively straightforward, and additional features such as multiple, nested, and recursive CTEs can provide further flexibility in a variety of applications.
By using the examples provided, you can start incorporating CTEs into your own SQL queries and begin to enjoy the benefits of more efficient, readable, and maintainable code.
Importance and Benefits of Mastering SQL CTEs
SQL is one of the most widely used programming languages in the world, and it is essential to understand how to write efficient and meaningful SQL queries as a developer. In today's world, understanding Common Table Expressions (CTEs) is increasingly important in SQL development.
CTEs provide a clean and intuitive way to define temporary result sets in SQL, and mastering CTEs can have immense benefits in terms of readability, efficiency, and functionality.
Every developer should strive to master CTEs since it can have a considerable impact on the speed and efficiency of their queries.
Using CTEs can help reduce repetition in queries and make the code simpler to understand. Instead of repeating subqueries often, CTEs provide a cleaner and more organized approach, resulting in faster and more efficient queries.
The readability is also improved significantly since the programmer can organize their code better, making it easier to maintain and modify later on.
In addition to being efficient and readable, CTEs also provide an invaluable tool for creating complex hierarchical queries.
We can use CTEs to negotiate and traverse these hierarchies, making them easier to understand and manipulate. The usefulness of CTEs is not limited to this specific use case but is only one example of how they can be used in day-to-day activities.
Overall, mastering CTEs is essential to becoming a proficient SQL developer because it provides a range of benefits, including better readability, writing more efficient queries, and creating complex hierarchical queries.
Recommendation for Online Course on SQL CTEs
While the concept of CTEs may sound simple enough, using them correctly takes time and effort to master fully. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help you learn how to use and apply CTEs effectively.
We highly recommend an online course titled "Recursive Queries", offered by the popular online learning website "SQLBolt."
This online course is designed for SQL developers at all levels of experience, from beginners to advanced. The course provides a focused and comprehensive overview of the concept of CTEs and how to use them effectively.
The course contains well-structured content that will help you master CTEs quickly.
The course starts with an overview of Recursion and explains why it is useful in SQL queries.
It then goes on to introduce CTEs and explains how to use them to create recursive queries. The course materials contain a range of examples and detailed explanations of each concept covered.
It also provides multiple exercises that help users apply their newly acquired skills. The course material is presented in an easy-to-follow, self-paced manner, allowing learners to review material as needed.
Additionally, the course is entirely free, making it an excellent resource for people who want to learn CTEs without investing too much money in course fees.
Conclusion
Mastering CTEs is essential for any SQL developer who wants to write high-quality, effective code. By understanding this concept, we can significantly improve the efficiency and readability of our SQL queries while also providing a powerful toolset for creating complex hierarchical queries.
Although mastering CTEs may seem daunting or challenging at first, an online course such as SQLBolt's "Recursive Queries" can provide developers with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. We highly recommend that anyone looking to improve their SQL skills takes the time to learn CTEs and how they can be used to write better queries.
In conclusion, mastering Common Table Expressions (CTEs) is a crucial skill for every SQL developer who wants to write efficient and readable code. CTEs offer many benefits, including reducing repetitive code and improving the organization of queries.
Moreover, CTEs can facilitate the creation of complex hierarchical queries. By attending an online course such as "Recursive Queries" by SQLBolt, one can quickly learn and master the implementation of CTEs. Ultimately, understanding CTEs will help developers write better SQL queries, improve their programming efficiency, and maintain a clean and organized codebase.