


How to Query DISTINCT Rows in PostgreSQL with Different ORDER BY Criteria?
Jan 21, 2025 pm 12:26 PMPostgreSQL DISTINCT Queries: Handling ORDER BY Discrepancies
PostgreSQL's DISTINCT ON
clause can present challenges when the DISTINCT ON
expressions don't align with the initial ORDER BY
criteria. This is because DISTINCT ON
selects the first row of each group defined by the DISTINCT ON
expression, as determined by the ORDER BY
clause. Mismatched ordering leads to errors.
To correct this, the DISTINCT ON
expression(s) should typically be the leading criteria in the ORDER BY
clause. However, if a different ordering is preferred, alternative approaches are available.
Alternative Methods for Unique Row Selection
Instead of relying solely on DISTINCT ON
, consider these strategies for retrieving the "top" row from each group based on a chosen ordering:
Method 1: Greatest N Per Group
This approach uses subqueries to identify the maximum (or minimum) value within each group and then joins back to the original table to retrieve the corresponding row. Here's an example:
SELECT t1.* FROM purchases t1 JOIN ( SELECT address_id, max(purchased_at) as max_purchased_at FROM purchases WHERE product_id = 1 GROUP BY address_id ) t2 ON t1.address_id = t2.address_id AND t1.purchased_at = t2.max_purchased_at ORDER BY t1.purchased_at DESC;
Method 2: Nested DISTINCT ON
Query
A more concise PostgreSQL-specific solution uses nested queries:
SELECT * FROM ( SELECT DISTINCT ON (address_id) * FROM purchases WHERE product_id = 1 ORDER BY address_id, purchased_at DESC ) t ORDER BY purchased_at DESC;
These methods provide flexibility in selecting unique rows while maintaining control over the final ordering, even when it differs from the grouping criteria. Choose the method that best suits your specific needs and data structure.
The above is the detailed content of How to Query DISTINCT Rows in PostgreSQL with Different ORDER BY Criteria?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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