The basic Aggregate function

  • Comments posted to this topic are about the item The basic Aggregate function

    Thanks,
    Shiva N
    Database Consultant

  • Nice straightforward question.

    This is one of those things (like the handling of SUM) the makes me think that someone had a screw loose when they were specifying how aggregates worked in unusual circumetances.

    Tom

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  • I think this kind of makes sense if you come at it from the Oracle perspective. In Oracle, to select values you have to go against the SYS.DUAL table, a table with a single dummy record. For example, the equivalent of SELECT GETDATE(); in Oracle would be SELECT sysdate FROM dual;. So the equivalent of SELECT COUNT(1); in Oracle would be SELECT COUNT(1) FROM dual;, which would return 1.


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  • Thanks, great question. The behavior is not at all what I expected, but it is good to know.

    - webrunner

    -------------------
    A SQL query walks into a bar and sees two tables. He walks up to them and asks, "Can I join you?"
    Ref.: http://tkyte.blogspot.com/2009/02/sql-joke.html

  • david.gugg (7/25/2016)


    I think this kind of makes sense if you come at it from the Oracle perspective. In Oracle, to select values you have to go against the SYS.DUAL table, a table with a single dummy record. For example, the equivalent of SELECT GETDATE(); in Oracle would be SELECT sysdate FROM dual;. So the equivalent of SELECT COUNT(1); in Oracle would be SELECT COUNT(1) FROM dual;, which would return 1.

    So what happens in Oracle if you just execute SELECT GETDATE(); ?

  • david.gugg (7/25/2016)


    I think this kind of makes sense if you come at it from the Oracle perspective. In Oracle, to select values you have to go against the SYS.DUAL table, a table with a single dummy record. For example, the equivalent of SELECT GETDATE(); in Oracle would be SELECT sysdate FROM dual;. So the equivalent of SELECT COUNT(1); in Oracle would be SELECT COUNT(1) FROM dual;, which would return 1.

    Didn't know that about Oracle.

  • Easy one, thanks.

    Need an answer? No, you need a question
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