nested query problem

Started by David Gauthierover 7 years ago5 messagesgeneral
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#1David Gauthier
davegauthierpg@gmail.com

Hi:

I'm having trouble with this query...

select sr.sqf_id, sr.status, fse.perl_sub_name, fse.end_datetime
from
sqf_runs sr,
(select perl_sub_name, end_datetime from flow_step_events_view where
sqf_id = sr.sqf_id order by 2 limit 1) fse
where sr.userid='foo';

ERROR: invalid reference to FROM-clause entry for table "sr"
LINE 4: ...atetime from flow_step_events_view where sqf_id = sr.sqf_id ...
^
HINT: There is an entry for table "sr", but it cannot be referenced from
this part of the query.

If this is indeed a foul, how can I accomplish the same thing ?

Thanks in Advance !

#2Paul Jungwirth
pj@illuminatedcomputing.com
In reply to: David Gauthier (#1)
Re: nested query problem

On 09/06/2018 01:59 PM, David Gauthier wrote:

I'm having trouble with this query...

select sr.sqf_id, sr.status, fse.perl_sub_name, fse.end_datetime
  from
    sqf_runs sr,
    (select perl_sub_name, end_datetime from flow_step_events_view
where sqf_id = sr.sqf_id order by 2 limit 1) fse
  where sr.userid='foo';

ERROR:  invalid reference to FROM-clause entry for table "sr"
LINE 4: ...atetime from flow_step_events_view where sqf_id = sr.sqf_id ...
                                                             ^
HINT:  There is an entry for table "sr", but it cannot be referenced
from this part of the query.

This calls for a lateral join:

SELECT sr.sqf_id, sr.status, fse.perl_sub_name, fse.end_datetime
FROM sqf_runs sr
LEFT OUTER JOIN LATERAL (
SELECT perl_sub_name, end_datetime
FROM flow_step_events_view fsev
WHERE fsev.sqf_id = sr.sqf_id
ORDER BY 2
LIMIT 1
) fse
ON true
WHERE sr.userid = 'foo'
;

It's nearly what you had already, but `LATERAL` lets the subquery
reference columns in the other tables.

A lateral join is conceptually a lot like running your subquery in for
loop, looping over all the rows produced by the rest of the query. It
doesn't have to produce 1 row for each iteration, but saying `LIMIT 1`
ensures that here.

The `ON true` is just pro forma because you can't have a join without an
`ON` clause.

You might prefer an INNER JOIN LATERAL, depending on your needs.

--
Paul ~{:-)
pj@illuminatedcomputing.com

#3Tom Lane
tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us
In reply to: David Gauthier (#1)
Re: nested query problem

David Gauthier <davegauthierpg@gmail.com> writes:

I'm having trouble with this query...

select sr.sqf_id, sr.status, fse.perl_sub_name, fse.end_datetime
from
sqf_runs sr,
(select perl_sub_name, end_datetime from flow_step_events_view where
sqf_id = sr.sqf_id order by 2 limit 1) fse
where sr.userid='foo';

ERROR: invalid reference to FROM-clause entry for table "sr"
LINE 4: ...atetime from flow_step_events_view where sqf_id = sr.sqf_id ...
^
HINT: There is an entry for table "sr", but it cannot be referenced from
this part of the query.

If you actually meant to access the outer "sqf_runs" RTE from the
sub-query, you need to mark it LATERAL:

select sr.sqf_id, sr.status, fse.perl_sub_name, fse.end_datetime
from
sqf_runs sr,
lateral (select perl_sub_name, end_datetime from flow_step_events_view where
sqf_id = sr.sqf_id order by 2 limit 1) fse
where sr.userid='foo';

regards, tom lane

#4David Gauthier
davegauthierpg@gmail.com
In reply to: Paul Jungwirth (#2)
Re: nested query problem

Not quite. This returns one value. In the actual "sqf_runs" table, there
are many records with user_id = 'foo'. I want one line for each where the
fse.p-erl_sub_name and fse.end_datetime values are the latest values found
in the flow_step_events_view view where the sqf_ids match.

On Thu, Sep 6, 2018 at 5:10 PM Paul Jungwirth <pj@illuminatedcomputing.com>
wrote:

Show quoted text

On 09/06/2018 01:59 PM, David Gauthier wrote:

I'm having trouble with this query...

select sr.sqf_id, sr.status, fse.perl_sub_name, fse.end_datetime
from
sqf_runs sr,
(select perl_sub_name, end_datetime from flow_step_events_view
where sqf_id = sr.sqf_id order by 2 limit 1) fse
where sr.userid='foo';

ERROR: invalid reference to FROM-clause entry for table "sr"
LINE 4: ...atetime from flow_step_events_view where sqf_id = sr.sqf_id

...

^
HINT: There is an entry for table "sr", but it cannot be referenced
from this part of the query.

This calls for a lateral join:

SELECT sr.sqf_id, sr.status, fse.perl_sub_name, fse.end_datetime
FROM sqf_runs sr
LEFT OUTER JOIN LATERAL (
SELECT perl_sub_name, end_datetime
FROM flow_step_events_view fsev
WHERE fsev.sqf_id = sr.sqf_id
ORDER BY 2
LIMIT 1
) fse
ON true
WHERE sr.userid = 'foo'
;

It's nearly what you had already, but `LATERAL` lets the subquery
reference columns in the other tables.

A lateral join is conceptually a lot like running your subquery in for
loop, looping over all the rows produced by the rest of the query. It
doesn't have to produce 1 row for each iteration, but saying `LIMIT 1`
ensures that here.

The `ON true` is just pro forma because you can't have a join without an
`ON` clause.

You might prefer an INNER JOIN LATERAL, depending on your needs.

--
Paul ~{:-)
pj@illuminatedcomputing.com

#5David Gauthier
davegauthierpg@gmail.com
In reply to: David Gauthier (#4)
Re: nested query problem

Wow, I take that back. I thought there were many recs with "foo" but there
wa sonly one.
When I ran this against a value that actually had multiple records, it ran
fine.

Sorry for that.
And Thanks for this query !

On Thu, Sep 6, 2018 at 5:15 PM David Gauthier <davegauthierpg@gmail.com>
wrote:

Show quoted text

Not quite. This returns one value. In the actual "sqf_runs" table, there
are many records with user_id = 'foo'. I want one line for each where the
fse.p-erl_sub_name and fse.end_datetime values are the latest values found
in the flow_step_events_view view where the sqf_ids match.

On Thu, Sep 6, 2018 at 5:10 PM Paul Jungwirth <pj@illuminatedcomputing.com>
wrote:

On 09/06/2018 01:59 PM, David Gauthier wrote:

I'm having trouble with this query...

select sr.sqf_id, sr.status, fse.perl_sub_name, fse.end_datetime
from
sqf_runs sr,
(select perl_sub_name, end_datetime from flow_step_events_view
where sqf_id = sr.sqf_id order by 2 limit 1) fse
where sr.userid='foo';

ERROR: invalid reference to FROM-clause entry for table "sr"
LINE 4: ...atetime from flow_step_events_view where sqf_id = sr.sqf_id

...

^
HINT: There is an entry for table "sr", but it cannot be referenced
from this part of the query.

This calls for a lateral join:

SELECT sr.sqf_id, sr.status, fse.perl_sub_name, fse.end_datetime
FROM sqf_runs sr
LEFT OUTER JOIN LATERAL (
SELECT perl_sub_name, end_datetime
FROM flow_step_events_view fsev
WHERE fsev.sqf_id = sr.sqf_id
ORDER BY 2
LIMIT 1
) fse
ON true
WHERE sr.userid = 'foo'
;

It's nearly what you had already, but `LATERAL` lets the subquery
reference columns in the other tables.

A lateral join is conceptually a lot like running your subquery in for
loop, looping over all the rows produced by the rest of the query. It
doesn't have to produce 1 row for each iteration, but saying `LIMIT 1`
ensures that here.

The `ON true` is just pro forma because you can't have a join without an
`ON` clause.

You might prefer an INNER JOIN LATERAL, depending on your needs.

--
Paul ~{:-)
pj@illuminatedcomputing.com