Subqueries

• A subquery is a SELECT statement inside another.

• A subquery can return:

• A single value
• A list of values
• A table of values

• Syntax is the same as a standard SELECT statement.

• Exception: No ORDER BY
Example:
• Subqueries sometimes provide information that cannot be obtained
any other way.

SELECT index_number, student_id, cwa

FROM students
WHERE cwa > (SELECT AVG(cwa) FROM students)
ORDER BY cwa DESC
Joins VS Subqueries
• Often joins and subqueries are interchangeable.
• Example:
SELECT hostel_id, hostel_name,
FROM hostels JOIN locations ON hostels.location_id = locations.location_id
WHERE location = ‘Ayeduase’
ORDER BY hostel_id
Vs
SELECT hostel_id, hostel_name,
FROM hostels WHERE location_id IN (SELECT location_id FROM locations
WHERE location = ‘Ayeduase’)
ORDER BY hostel_id
 Subqueries for the WHERE clause
Using the IN
• SYNTAX:
WHERE expression [NOT] IN (subquery)

• Example:
SELECT lastname, firstname FROM students
WHERE hostel_id NOT IN
(SELECT hostel_id FROM hostels)

Challenge:
• Convert the above query into one without a subquery.
Using COMPARISON OPERATORS
• SYNTAX:
• WHERE expression comparison_operator [SOME|ANY|ALL]
(subquery)

• Example:
• SELECT * FROM students WHERE cwa > ANY (SELECT cwa FROM
students)
 ALL, ANY, SOME
• exp > ALL (1,2,3) • exp > ANY (1,2,3)

• exp < ALL (1,2,3) • exp < ANY (1,2,3)

• exp = ALL (1,2,3) • exp = ANY (1,2,3)

• exp <> ALL (1,2,3) • exp <> ANY (1,2,3)

 Correlated Subqueries
• We’ve seen uncorrelated subqueries so far.
• A correlated subquery is executed once per each tuple in the main
query.

• Example:
SELECT cwa, lastname, firstname, department_name FROM
students JOIN departments d
USING (deparment_id) WHERE cwa >
(SELECT AVG(cwa) FROM students WHERE department_id =
d.department_id)
 EXISTS and NOT EXISTS
• You can use the EXISTS operator with subqueries (typically
with correlated ones)

• Example:
SELECT lastname, firstname FROM students s
WHERE NOT EXISTS
(SELECT * FROM hostels WHERE hostel_id = s.hostel_id)

• Same as query in slide 5, but possibly faster

 Subqueries as part of the SELECT list
• You can use a subquery as part of the SELECT list of a main query.
• Let’s see an example:

SELECT department_name, (SELECT MAX(cwa) FROM students WHERE

department_id = departments.department_id) AS max_cwa
FROM departments
ORDER BY avg_cwa DESC

• Typically, these can be rewritten as joins which are faster and easier to read.
• Exercise:
• Rewrite the previous query to retrieve the
same results while eliminating the subquery.
 Subqueries in the FROM clause
• An inline view is a subquery coded in the FROM clause
• An alias is compulsory
• Example:
SELECT name, hostel_name FROM (
SELECT CONCAT(lastname, firstname) AS name, location, hostel_name
FROM students JOIN hostels USING (hostel_id) JOIN locations USING
(location_id)
)
WHERE locaton = ‘Kotei’
 A word on complex queries
• Queries can quickly get complicated for large applications and large
datasets
• Such queries may be referred to as complex (subjective)
• They are still simple if broken down into smaller logical units
• To write a complex query:
• Outline the query in your own words (pseudo code)
• Write and test the subqueries
• Combine subqueries into main query
 Subqueries in the other clauses
• You can use subqueries in the WHERE clause for both UPDATES and
DELETES.

• Example:
• UPDATE hostels SET location_id = 3 WHERE location_id = (SELECT location_id
FROM locations WHERE location = ‘Ayeduase’)
• (trivial)
• Exercise:
• Change the location of every hostel in ‘Ayeduase’ to ‘Kofiduase’.
(Assume you do not know the ids of both locations beforehand)

• Update by 200 cedes, the 2 in a room price of every hostel whose

current price for the said room, is less than 1000 cedes.

• DELETE all hostels in Kentikrono whose charge for 4 in a room is

greater than 1000 cedes.