Query processing order

Introduction to Oracle SQL

Hadrien Lacroix

Content Developer

Why does processing order matter?

Optimize your queries
- No unwanted results
- Faster execution

Example

    SELECT BillingCountry, AVG(Total) > 100) AS Average
    FROM Invoice
    WHERE BillingCity <> 'Paris' 
    GROUP BY BillingCountry
    HAVING AVG(Total) > 100
    ORDER BY Average DESC

Example

    SELECT BillingCountry, AVG(Total) > 100) AS Average
->  FROM Invoice
    WHERE BillingCity <> 'Paris' 
    GROUP BY BillingCountry
    HAVING AVG(Total) > 100
    ORDER BY Average DESC

Example

    SELECT BillingCountry, AVG(Total) > 100) AS Average
    FROM Invoice
->  WHERE BillingCity <> 'Paris' 
    GROUP BY BillingCountry
    HAVING AVG(Total) > 100
    ORDER BY Average DESC

Example

    SELECT BillingCountry, AVG(Total) > 100) AS Average
    FROM Invoice
    WHERE BillingCity <> 'Paris' 
->  GROUP BY BillingCountry
    HAVING AVG(Total) > 100
    ORDER BY Average DESC

Example

    SELECT BillingCountry, AVG(Total) > 100) AS Average
    FROM Invoice
    WHERE BillingCity <> 'Paris' 
    GROUP BY BillingCountry
->  HAVING AVG(Total) > 100
    ORDER BY Average DESC

Example

->  SELECT BillingCountry, AVG(Total) > 100) AS Average
    FROM Invoice
    WHERE BillingCity <> 'Paris' 
    GROUP BY BillingCountry
    HAVING AVG(Total) > 100
    ORDER BY Average DESC

Example

    SELECT BillingCountry, AVG(Total) > 100) AS Average
    FROM Invoice
    WHERE BillingCity <> 'Paris' 
    GROUP BY BillingCountry
    HAVING AVG(Total) > 100
->  ORDER BY Average DESC

What could go wrong?

SELECT BillingCountry, 
       AVG(Total) > 100) AS Average
FROM Invoice
WHERE BillingCity <> 'Paris' 
GROUP BY BillingCountry
HAVING AVG(Total) > 100
ORDER BY Average DESC

Aliases can't be used in WHERE, GROUP BY, and HAVING
Aliases can be used in ORDER BY

What could go wrong?

SELECT BillingCountry, 
       AVG(Total) > 100) AS Average
FROM Invoice
WHERE BillingCity <> 'Paris' 
GROUP BY BillingCountry
HAVING AVG(Total) > 100
ORDER BY Average DESC

Aggregated values can't be filtered out in the WHERE clause
Aggregated values can be filtered out in the HAVING clause

What could go wrong?

SELECT BillingCountry, 
       AVG(Total) > 100) AS Average
FROM Invoice
WHERE BillingCity <> 'Paris' 
GROUP BY BillingCountry
HAVING AVG(Total) > 100)
ORDER BY Average DESC

Single rows can't be filtered out in the HAVING clause
Single rows can be filtered out in the WHERE clause

Query order of execution

FROM and JOINs: determine which data is being queried
WHERE: filter individual rows
GROUP BY: group rows
HAVING: filter groups
SELECT: select columns and apply functions on columns
DISTINCT: remove duplicates
UNION, UNION ALL, INTERSECT, MINUS: apply set operators
ORDER BY: order rows

Let's practice!

Introduction to Oracle SQL