SAP HANA - SQL Expressions

An Expression is used to evaluate a clause to return values. There are different SQL expressions that can be used in HANA −

Case Expressions

Function Expressions

Aggregate Expressions

Subqueries in Expressions

Case Expression

This is used to pass multiple conditions in a SQL expression. It allows the use of IF-ELSE-THEN logic without using procedures in SQL statements.

Example

SELECT COUNT( CASE WHEN sal < 2000 THEN 1 ELSE NULL END ) count1,
COUNT( CASE WHEN sal BETWEEN 2001 AND 4000 THEN 1 ELSE NULL END ) count2,
COUNT( CASE WHEN sal > 4000 THEN 1 ELSE NULL END ) count3 FROM emp;

This statement will return count1, count2, count3 with integer value as per passed condition.

Function Expressions

Function expressions involve SQL inbuilt functions to be used in Expressions.

Aggregate Expressions

Aggregate functions are used to perform complex calculations pke Sum, Percentage, Min, Max, Count, Mode, Median, etc. Aggregate Expression uses Aggregate functions to calculate single value from multiple values.

Aggregate Functions − Sum, Count, Minimum, Maximum. These are appped on measure values (facts) and It is always associated with a dimension.

Common aggregate functions include −

Average ()

Count ()

Maximum ()

Median ()

Minimum ()

Mode ()

Sum ()

Subqueries in Expressions

A subquery as an expression is a Select statement. When it is used in an expression, it returns a zero or a single value.

A subquery is used to return data that will be used in the main query as a condition to further restrict the data to be retrieved.

Subqueries can be used with the SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements along with the operators pke =, <, >, >=, <=, IN, BETWEEN etc.

There are a few rules that subqueries must follow −

Subqueries must be enclosed within parentheses.

A subquery can have only one column in the SELECT clause, unless multiple columns are in the main query for the subquery to compare its selected columns.

An ORDER BY cannot be used in a subquery, although the main query can use an ORDER BY. The GROUP BY can be used to perform the same function as the ORDER BY in a subquery.

Subqueries that return more than one row can only be used with multiple value operators, such as the IN operator.

The SELECT pst cannot include any references to values that evaluate to a BLOB, ARRAY, CLOB, or NCLOB.

A subquery cannot be immediately enclosed in a set function.

The BETWEEN operator cannot be used with a subquery; however, the BETWEEN operator can be used within the subquery.

Subqueries with the SELECT Statement

Subqueries are most frequently used with the SELECT statement. The basic syntax is as follows −

Example

SELECT * FROM CUSTOMERS
WHERE ID IN (SELECT ID
FROM CUSTOMERS
WHERE SALARY > 4500) ;

+----+----------+-----+---------+----------+
| ID | NAME     | AGE | ADDRESS | SALARY   |
+----+----------+-----+---------+----------+
| 4  | Chaitap | 25  | Mumbai  | 6500.00  |
| 5  | Hardik   | 27  | Bhopal  | 8500.00  |
| 7  | Muffy    | 24  | Indore  | 10000.00 |
+----+----------+-----+---------+----------+