skip to main content
SQL statements : DML statements : SELECT
 

SELECT

This statement retrieves data from one or more tables or views.

Syntax 

<select-stmt> ::= <query-expression> [<order-by-clause>]
 
<query-expression> ::= <query-specification>
| <query-expression> UNION [ALL] <query-expression>
 
<query-specification> ::= SELECT [ALL|DISTINCT] [TOP N] <select-list> FROM
<table-ref-list> [<where-clause>]
[<group-by-clause>] [having-clause]
| SELECT [ALL|DISTINCT]<select-list> FROM
<table-ref-list> [<where-clause>] FOR UPDATE [NOWAIT]
 
<select-list> ::= <select-item> [,<select-item>]…
 
<select-item> ::= <derived-column> [<as-clause>]
| <column-name> = <derived-column>
| *
 
<derived-column> ::= <value-expression>
 
<as-clause> ::= [AS] <column-name>
| [AS] <character-literal>
 
<table-ref-list> ::= <table-ref> [, <table-ref>]…
 
<table-ref> ::= <simple-table-ref>
| <derived-table-ref>
| <joined-table>
| <odbc-joined-table>
 
<simple-table-ref> ::= <table_name> [[AS] identifier]
| <table_name> [[AS] <character-literal>
 
<derived_table_ref> ::= <derived_table> [[AS] identifier]
| <derived_table> [[AS] <character-literal>
 
<derived_table> ::= <table_subquery>
<table_subquery> ::= <subquery>
 
<subquery> ::= LP <query_expression> RP
 
<joined-table> ::= <qualified-join>
| ( <joined-table> )
 
<qualified-join> ::= <table-ref> <outer_join_type> <table-ref>
ON <search-condition>
 
<outer-join-type> ::= [LEFT | RIGHT | FULL] [OUTER] JOIN| INNER JOIN
 
<odbc-joined-table> ::= <ODBC_std_esc_initiator> oj <joined-table>
<ODBC_std_esc_terminator>
| <ODBC_ext_esc_initiator> oj < joined-table>
<ODBC_ext_esc_terminator> ON search-condition
 
<where-clause> ::= WHERE <search-condition>
 
<group-by-clause> ::= GROUP BY <value-expression> [,<value-expression>]…
 
<having-clause> ::= HAVING <search-condition>
 
<order-by-clause> ::= ORDER BY <sort-spec> [, < sort-spec>]…
 
<sort-spec> ::= <sort-key> [ASC | DESC]
 
<sort-key> ::= <value-expression>
 
<search-condition> ::= <boolean-term>
| <search-condition> OR <boolean-term>
 
<boolean-term> ::= <boolean-factor>
| <boolean-term> AND <boolean-factor>
 
<boolean-factor> ::= [NOT] <boolean-primary>
 
<boolean-primary> ::= <predicate>
| (<search-condition>)
 
<predicate> ::= <comparison-predicate>
| <between-predicate>
| <in-predicate>
| <like-predicate>
| <null-predicate>
| <quantified-comparison-predicate>
| <exists-predicate>
| <unique-predicate>
 
<comparison-predicate> ::= <row-value-constructor> <compare-operator>
<row-value-constructor>
 
<compare-operator> ::= > | >= | < | <= | = | != | <>
 
<between-predicate> ::= <row-value-constructor> [NOT] BETWEEN
<row-value-constructor>
 
<in-predicate> ::= <row-value-constructor> [NOT] IN
<in-value-list>
| <row-value-constructor> [NOT] IN
<subquery>
 
<in-value-list> ::= <value-expression> [,<value-expression>]…
 
<like-predicate> ::= <row-value-constructor> [NOT] LIKE
<pattern-value> <escape-clause>
 
<null-predicate> ::= <row-value-constructor> [NOT] NULL
 
<pattern-value> ::= <value-expression>
| ?
<escape-clause> ::= ESCAPE <value-expression>
 
<quantified-comparison-predicate> ::= <row-value-constructor>
<compare-operator> <comparison-quantifier> <table-subquery>
 
<comparison-quantifier> ::= ALL | SOME | ANY
 
<exists_predicate> ::= EXISTS <table_subquery>
 
<unique_predicate> ::= UNIQUE <table_subquery>
 
<row-value-constructor> ::= <value-expression> | NULL
 
<value-expression> ::= <numeric-value-expression>
 
<numeric-value-expression> ::= <term>
| <numeric-value-expression> + <term>
| <numeric-value-expression> - <term>
 
<term> ::= <factor>
| <term> * <factor>
| <term> / <factor>
 
<factor> ::= <numeric-primary>
 
<numeric-primary> ::= <numeric-literal>
| <character-literal>
| <datetime-literal>
| < interval-literal>
| <column-name>
| <set-function-spec>
| ?
| <subquery>
| NULL
| ( < value-expression> )
| <case-expression>
 
<case-expression> :: =
CASE <value-expression>
WHEN <value-expression> THEN <value-expression>
[, WHEN <value-expression> THEN <value-expression> ] …
[
ELSE <value-expression>
]
END
| CASE
WHEN <value-expression> THEN <value-expression>
[,WHEN <value-expression> THEN <value-expression> ] …
[
ELSE <value-expression>
]
END
<datetime-literal> ::= <ODBC-date-time-escape>
 
<scalar-function> ::= <ODBC_std_esc_initiator>
fn <scalar-function-call>
<ODBC_std_esc_terminator>
| <ODBC_ext_esc_initiator>
fn <scalar-function-call>
<ODBC_ext_esc_terminator>
| <scalar-function-call>
 
<scalar-function-call> ::= <scalar-function-name> ( )
| <scalar-function-name> ( <value-expression-list> )
 
< value-expression-list > ::= <value-expression > [,<value-expression >]…
 
<set-function-spec> ::= COUNT ( * )
| AVG ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| MIN ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| MAX ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| SUM ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| COUNT ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| VAR ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| VAR_SAMP ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| STDDEV ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| STDDEV_SAMP ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| STDEV ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| VARP ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| VAR_POP ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| STDDEVP ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| STDDEV_POP ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )
| STDEVP ( [ALL | DISTINCT] < value-expression > )

Examples

SELECT * FROM emp WHERE sal >1000 ORDER BY sal
SELECT deptno, count(*) FROM emp GROUP BY deptno
SELECT emp.empno, emp.ename, dept.deptno, dept.divno FROM emp
INNER JOIN dept ON emp.deptno=dept.deptno
SELECT * FROM emp WHERE deptno NOT IN (SELECT deptno FROM dept)