TOP(1) query for Oracle AND Microsoft SQL Server

I have two tables. One called EMAILQUEUE and another called EMAILQUEUE_STATUS. EMAILQUEUE contains information about emails sent or to be sent. EMAILQUEUE_STATUS contains a record of the status of each item in EMAILQUEUE. I need to get a list of all items in EMAILQUEUE whose most recent status from the EMAILQUEUE_STATUS table is "Ready to send". If I was using an Oracle database I could use something like this:

SELECT ... FROM EMAILQUEUE_STATUS WHERE STATUS = 'Ready' AND ROWNUM = 1 ORDER BY TIME_STAMP DESC

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For Microsoft SQL Server I could use something similar but different due to differences in syntax:

SELECT TOP(1) ... WHERE STATUS = 'READY' ORDER BY TIME_STAMP DESC

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Here's the catch. I need a single query statement that will work with the same syntax for both Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server. I'm thinking some kind of group by or partition might be the way to go but I'm not quite figuring it out. Anyone have any ideas?

Oh and by the way, this needs to be compatible with Oracle 11g or later and Microsoft SQL Server 2012 or later. Unfortunately, Oracle 11g doesn't support CROSS APPLY so that option is out. :(

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LVL 81

slightwv (䄆 Netminder) Commented: 2018-12-27

>>If I was using an Oracle database I could use something like this:

No you couldn't. ROWNUM is assigned BEFORE the order by. It is valid syntax and will run but won't give you what you think it will.

For cross database try something like:

SELECT col1,col2 FROM (
SELECT col1,col2, row_number() over(order by time_stamp desc) rn FROM EMAILQUEUE_STATUS WHERE STATUS = 'Ready'
) mydata
where rn=1

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LVL 67

Jim HornSQL Server Data DudeCommented: 2018-12-27

>I need a single query statement that will work with the same syntax for both Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server.
Why? This is not a realistic expectation that for every situation there will be SQL code that works in both databases.

LVL 72

Scott PletcherSenior DBACommented: 2018-12-27

I think this will do it:

SELECT ...
FROM EMAILQUEUE_STATUS
WHERE STATUS = 'Ready'
ORDER BY TIME_STAMP DESC
/* OFFSET ... [optional, of course] */
FETCH NEXT 1 ROWS ONLY

I guess sometimes ANSI standards do actually help.

>>I think this will do it: ... FETCH NEXT 1 ROWS ONLY

I think that syntax is a new 12c feature and not available in 11g.

I'm certain you're right. I'm a SQL DBA only now. I knew SQL supported it, so I Googled it for Oracle, but I have no idea what version it started in. [The last time I was an Oracle DBA was for Oracle8.]

LVL 22

Russ SuterSenior Software DeveloperAuthor Commented: 2018-12-27

@slightwv

Thanks. That was pretty much it. I knew this already but was hitting a mental block for some reason. Thanks for jogging my memory.

@Jim Horn

I don't know what you're getting at here. I have no such expectation. I just knew that in this particular situation there was an answer. I just couldn't remember what the answer was.

TOP(1) query for Oracle AND Microsoft SQL Server

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