Question

SQL Top 5

Asked by: R8VI

Hi I have the following code

SELECT *
  FROM N
 WHERE d < DATEADD(day, 1, CONVERT(datetime, CONVERT(varchar(10), GETDATE(), 120), 120))
Except (SELECT top 1 *
  FROM N
 WHERE d < DATEADD(day, 1, CONVERT(datetime, CONVERT(varchar(10), GETDATE(), 120), 120))
)
order by d desc

what i want to do is only output the top 5, so I tried

SELECT top 5 *
  FROM N
 WHERE d < DATEADD(day, 1, CONVERT(datetime, CONVERT(varchar(10), GETDATE(), 120), 120))
Except (SELECT top 1 *
  FROM N
 WHERE d < DATEADD(day, 1, CONVERT(datetime, CONVERT(varchar(10), GETDATE(), 120), 120))
)
order by d desc

but then that ignores order by d desc this statement

Please help

Thanks,

R8VI

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Asked On
2009-01-07 at 06:09:10ID24031368
Tags

Microsoft SQL server 2005

Topics

MS SQL Server

,

SQL Server 2005

Participating Experts
4
Points
500
Comments
7

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Answers

 

by: gkernPosted on 2009-01-07 at 06:13:12ID: 23314674


select top 5 * from (
SELECT *
  FROM N
 WHERE d < DATEADD(day, 1, CONVERT(datetime, CONVERT(varchar(10), GETDATE(), 120), 120))
Except (SELECT top 1 *
  FROM N
 WHERE d < DATEADD(day, 1, CONVERT(datetime, CONVERT(varchar(10), GETDATE(), 120), 120))
)
order by d desc
)

 

by: gkernPosted on 2009-01-07 at 06:20:15ID: 23314741

Are you sure it ignores the order by d desc?

Can you try to run it twice once with desc and one without desc? is the results are the same?

 

by: gkernPosted on 2009-01-07 at 06:27:31ID: 23314817

By the way notice that your subquery uses different order by (without 'desc')

 

by: EmesPosted on 2009-01-07 at 06:44:32ID: 23315013

SELECT top 5 *
  FROM N
 WHERE d < DATEADD(day, 1, CONVERT(datetime, CONVERT(varchar(10), GETDATE(), 120), 120))
Except (SELECT top 1 *
  FROM N
 WHERE d < DATEADD(day, 1, CONVERT(datetime, CONVERT(varchar(10), GETDATE(), 120), 120))
order by d desc
)
order by d desc


need to have both in the same order

 

by: ZberteocPosted on 2009-01-07 at 08:03:00ID: 23316127

Here is a shorter version in regards with date conversion. You dont have to convert a date back to datetime after you converted it to varchar. The comparition or usage in a datetime function will do that automatically for you. To a datetime you can add integers directly and that means adding days.

In regards to order it should work. 

SELECT top 5 
	*
FROM 
	N
WHERE 
	d < convert(varchar, getdate()+1, 101)
Except 
	( 
		SELECT top 1 
			*
		FROM 
			N
		WHERE 
			d < convert(varchar, getdate()+1, 101)
	)
order by 
	d desc 
                                              
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5:
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Select allOpen in new window

 

by: ZberteocPosted on 2009-01-07 at 08:12:06ID: 23316242

You can try also without wrapping the statement after the Except within brackets:

SELECT top 5 
        *
FROM 
        N
WHERE 
        d < convert(varchar, getdate()+1, 101)
Except 
SELECT top 1 
        *
FROM 
        N
WHERE 
        d < convert(varchar, getdate()+1, 101)
ORDER BY 
        d desc
                                              
1:
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3:
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5:
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7:
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Select allOpen in new window

 

by: ScottPletcherPosted on 2009-01-07 at 08:30:02ID: 23316492

You didn't specify an ORDER BY in the EXCEPT ( SELECT TOP 1 ... ), so the row is essentially randomly selected.

Which row are you trying to except/exclude?  The latest/last one?

Something like this should be easier:


SELECT *
FROM (
SELECT top 5 *
  FROM (
  SELECT top 6 *
  FROM N
 WHERE d < DATEADD(day, 1, CONVERT(datetime, CONVERT(varchar(10), GETDATE(), 120), 120))
 order by d desc
) as derived
order by d asc
) as derived2
order by d desc

That is, get the top 6, get the last 5 of those, then re-sort then into desc order.  An extra sort of only 5 rows will be *very* fast.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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