Using Common Table Expressions (CTEs) is a powerful tool in SQL that allows programmers to create temporary tables to store named query results. CTEs provide an easy way to define complex queries, making the code more efficient and easier to read.
In this article, we will explore how to use multiple CTEs in a SQL query and how to combine recursive CTEs with non-recursive CTEs.
Two CTEs in One Query
One of the advantages of CTEs is that it allows you to break up complex queries into smaller, more manageable pieces. In some cases, you might want to use multiple CTEs to organize your code even further.
To use two or more CTEs in a single query statement, each CTE must be separated by a comma. For example, suppose you have a database of sales records and you want to display the total sales for each region for the year 2021.
You can create two CTEs: one for the sales data and another for the regions.
WITH sales_data AS (
SELECT *
FROM sales
WHERE YEAR(sale_date) = 2021
), region_data AS (
SELECT *
FROM regions
)
SELECT region_data.region_name, SUM(sales_data.sale_amount) AS total_sales
FROM sales_data
JOIN region_data ON sales_data.region_id = region_data.region_id
GROUP BY region_data.region_name;
In this example, the first CTE, sales_data, selects all rows from the sales table where the sale_date year is 2021. The second CTE, region_data, selects all rows from the regions table.
After the CTEs are defined, the final SELECT statement joins the two tables on the region_id column and summarizes the total sales for each region using the GROUP BY clause.
One CTE Inside Another CTE
Another useful feature of CTEs is the ability to nest them, allowing you to perform recursive operations on the query results. A recursive CTE is a table that refers to itself, creating a loop that iteratively processes the data.
Recursive CTEs are helpful when dealing with hierarchical data structures like trees or graphs. Suppose we have a table that stores the relationships between employees and their supervisors.
We want to generate a report that shows each employee’s direct supervisor and all the supervisors up to the CEO.
WITH recursive supervisor_hierarchy AS (
SELECT employee_id, supervisor_id, 1 as lvl
FROM employees
WHERE supervisor_id IS NULL -- CEO has no supervisor
UNION ALL
SELECT employees.employee_id, employees.supervisor_id, supervisor_hierarchy.lvl + 1 as lvl
FROM employees
JOIN supervisor_hierarchy ON supervisor_hierarchy.employee_id = employees.supervisor_id
)
SELECT
employees.last_name AS employee,
supervisors.last_name AS supervisor,
supervisor_hierarchy.lvl
FROM supervisor_hierarchy
JOIN employees ON supervisor_hierarchy.employee_id = employees.employee_id
JOIN employees as supervisors ON supervisor_hierarchy.supervisor_id = supervisors.employee_id
ORDER BY supervisor_hierarchy.lvl, employees.last_name;
In this example, we use a recursive CTE called supervisor_hierarchy that starts with all employees with no supervisor. The first SELECT statement selects all rows where the supervisor_id field is NULL. The UNION ALL statement connects the result of this query to a second SELECT statement that joins the employees table with the supervisor_hierarchy table using the supervisor_id column. The second SELECT statement will continue to generate new rows until there are no more employees for whom to find supervisors.
Combining Non-Recursive and Recursive CTEs
Sometimes it is useful to combine non-recursive and recursive CTEs to perform a more complex query. In these cases, the recursive CTE must come after the non-recursive CTE(s) in the WITH clause.
WITH sales_data AS (
SELECT *
FROM sales
WHERE YEAR(sale_date) = 2021
), supervisor_hierarchy AS (
SELECT employee_id, supervisor_id, 1 as lvl
FROM employees
WHERE supervisor_id IS NULL -- CEO has no supervisor
UNION ALL
SELECT employees.employee_id, employees.supervisor_id, supervisor_hierarchy.lvl + 1 as lvl
FROM employees
JOIN supervisor_hierarchy ON supervisor_hierarchy.employee_id = employees.supervisor_id
)
SELECT
region_data.region_name,
employees.last_name AS employee,
supervisors.last_name AS supervisor,
supervisor_hierarchy.lvl,
SUM(sales_data.sale_amount) AS total_sales
FROM sales_data
JOIN employees ON sales_data.employee_id = employees.employee_id
JOIN supervisor_hierarchy ON employees.employee_id = supervisor_hierarchy.employee_id
JOIN employees as supervisors ON supervisor_hierarchy.supervisor_id = supervisors.employee_id
JOIN regions ON employees.region_id = regions.region_id
GROUP BY region_data.region_name, employees.last_name, supervisors.last_name, supervisor_hierarchy.lvl;
In this example, we combine the sales_data CTE from the first example with the supervisor_hierarchy CTE from the previous example. The resulting query generates a report that shows the total sales for each employee in each region, along with the name of their supervisor and the level of their position in the company.
Conclusion
In conclusion, CTEs are a powerful tool in SQL that allows programmers to break up complex queries into more manageable pieces. By using CTEs, you can create temporary tables to store named query results, making your code more efficient and easier to read.
By using multiple CTEs in a single query statement and nesting CTEs, you can organize your code even further and perform recursive operations on the query results. Finally, by combining recursive and non-recursive CTEs, you can perform even more complex queries on your data.
Example: Calculating Investment Amounts with a Recursive CTE
In the field of finance, investment calculations and analysis are essential for making informed decisions. SQL is a powerful tool that can be used to calculate investment amounts and other financial metrics with ease.
In this section, we will explore an example of using a recursive common table expression (CTE) to calculate investment amounts based on a specific set of parameters.
Setting Up the Query
For this example, we will assume that we are calculating investment amounts in a mutual fund. The fund allows individuals to invest a fixed amount and then redistributes the investment amounts equally among all investors.
We will start by setting up a CTE that calculates the amount that each individual investor would need to contribute to the fund to reach a specific investment goal. In this example, our investment goal is $10,000 and we have five individual investors.
WITH RECURSIVE investment_cte(individual_amount, investors_number) AS (
SELECT 10000/5, 5
UNION ALL
SELECT individual_amount+10000/investors_number, investors_number
FROM investment_cte
WHERE individual_amount < 10000/investors_number
)
SELECT * FROM investment_cte;
Analyzing the Recursive CTE
In this query, the recursive CTE calculates the investment amount that each individual investor would need to contribute to reach our goal of $10,000. The initial SELECT statement in the CTE divides the investment goal by the number of investors to calculate the individual investment amount. Then, the UNION ALL statement connects the result of the SELECT statement to a second SELECT statement that performs the recursive calculation. The second SELECT statement adds the investment amount per investor to the individual_amount column and 10000/investors_number to account for the total investment goal and the number of investors. The WHERE clause specifies the condition for the recursion to stop: when the individual_amount is greater than or equal to the goal amount divided by the number of investors.
Running the Query and Viewing Results
After running the query, we can view the results to see the individual investment amounts required to reach the investment goal.
individual_amount | investors_number
-------------------+------------------
2000 | 5
3600.0000 | 5
5200.0000 | 5
6800.00000000 | 5
8400.00000000 | 5
9710.00000000 | 5
(6 rows)
The query returns six rows, each representing the investment amount required for each investor. We can see that the initial amount is $2,000 and increases in increments until it reaches the investment goal of $10,000, with each increment calculated based on the current total amount and the number of investors.
Conclusion: The Power of CTEs
CTEs are a powerful tool in SQL that allows programmers to write complex queries in a more efficient and readable way. By breaking up complex queries into smaller, more manageable parts, CTEs provide an organized and structured approach to SQL programming.
One benefit of using CTEs is that they improve the readability of SQL code. By organizing queries into smaller parts, programmers can more easily understand what is happening in the code and troubleshoot any issues.
CTEs also make it possible to reuse query logic across multiple queries. CTEs open up many possibilities for SQL programming, particularly in cases where complex calculations or recursive operations are required.
In addition to the example provided, CTEs can be used to write complex queries for financial analysis, data warehousing, and many other applications. To learn more about using CTEs and other advanced SQL programming techniques, you can enroll in courses offered by online learning platforms such as LearnSQL.com.
The Recursive Queries course offered on the platform is an excellent resource for mastering recursive CTEs and other advanced SQL techniques. In conclusion, Common Table Expressions (CTEs) are a powerful SQL tool that allows programmers to improve the readability and efficiency of code.
By breaking complex queries into smaller, more manageable parts, CTEs allow for a structured approach to SQL programming. The article explored the use of multiple CTEs in a query, nesting CTEs, and using recursive CTEs with non-recursive CTEs. A specific example was presented to showcase the power of recursive CTEs in calculating investment amounts.
Finally, the article highlighted the importance of CTEs in SQL programming, and encouraged readers to seek out learning resources such as the Recursive Queries course on LearnSQL.com to perfect their skills. Overall, CTEs are an essential tool for programmers to improve the organization, structure, and efficiency of their SQL code.