SQL Min and Max

Last modified on: December 3, 2024

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<h3><strong>SQL MIN and MAX Functions: A Complete Guide</strong></h3>
<h4><strong>What are SQL MIN and MAX Functions?</strong></h4>
<ul>
<li><strong><code>MIN()</code></strong>: Returns the smallest value in a specified column.</li>
<li><strong><code>MAX()</code></strong>: Returns the largest value in a specified column.</li>
</ul>
<p>These functions are widely used to identify extreme values in a dataset, either within the entire table or grouped by specific criteria.</p>
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<h3><strong>Syntax</strong></h3>
<h4><strong>MIN() Function</strong></h4>
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<pre class="language-php"><code>SELECT MIN(column_name)
FROM table_name
WHERE condition;
</code></pre>
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<h4><strong>MAX() Function</strong></h4>
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<pre class="language-php"><code>SELECT MAX(column_name)
FROM table_name
WHERE condition;
</code></pre>
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<h3><strong>Examples of SQL MIN and MAX</strong></h3>
<h4><strong>1. Basic Usage</strong></h4>
<p><strong>Example: Find the minimum salary</strong></p>
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<pre class="language-php"><code>SELECT MIN(salary) AS minimum_salary
FROM employees;
</code></pre>
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<p><strong>Example: Find the maximum salary</strong></p>
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<pre class="language-php"><code>SELECT MAX(salary) AS maximum_salary
FROM employees;
</code></pre>
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<h4><strong>2. Using MIN and MAX with Conditions</strong></h4>
<p><strong>Example: Find the minimum salary in the IT department</strong></p>
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<pre class="language-php"><code>SELECT MIN(salary) AS minimum_it_salary
FROM employees
WHERE department = 'IT';
</code></pre>
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<p><strong>Example: Find the maximum salary for managers</strong></p>
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<pre class="language-php"><code>SELECT MAX(salary) AS maximum_manager_salary
FROM employees
WHERE position = 'Manager';
</code></pre>
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<h4><strong>3. Combining MIN and MAX</strong></h4>
<p><strong>Example: Find the minimum and maximum salaries in the company</strong></p>
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<pre class="language-php"><code>SELECT MIN(salary) AS minimum_salary, MAX(salary) AS maximum_salary
FROM employees;
</code></pre>
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<h4><strong>4. Using MIN and MAX with GROUP BY</strong></h4>
<p>You can combine these functions with <strong><code>GROUP BY</code></strong> to calculate the minimum and maximum values for each group.</p>
<p><strong>Example: Minimum and maximum salaries by department</strong></p>
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<pre class="language-php"><code>SELECT department, MIN(salary) AS minimum_salary, MAX(salary) AS maximum_salary
FROM employees
GROUP BY department;
</code></pre>
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<h4><strong>5. MIN and MAX on Non-Numeric Columns</strong></h4>
<p>These functions can also be used on non-numeric columns like dates or strings to find the earliest/latest date or lexicographically smallest/largest value.</p>
<p><strong>Example: Find the earliest hire date</strong></p>
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<pre class="language-php"><code>SELECT MIN(hire_date) AS earliest_hire_date
FROM employees;
</code></pre>
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<p><strong>Example: Find the last name that comes last alphabetically</strong></p>
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<pre class="language-php"><code>SELECT MAX(last_name) AS last_alphabetically
FROM employees;
</code></pre>
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<h3><strong>Using MIN and MAX with DISTINCT</strong></h3>
<p>To find extreme values among unique values, use <strong><code>DISTINCT</code></strong>.</p>
<p><strong>Example: Find the minimum unique salary</strong></p>
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<pre class="language-php"><code>SELECT MIN(DISTINCT salary) AS minimum_unique_salary
FROM employees;
</code></pre>
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<h3><strong>Performance Tips</strong></h3>
<ol>
<li><strong>Indexing</strong>: Use indexed columns for faster queries with <strong><code>MIN</code></strong> and <strong><code>MAX</code></strong>.</li>
<li><strong>Avoid Unnecessary Calculations</strong>: Apply filters with <strong><code>WHERE</code></strong> to reduce the dataset size before applying aggregate functions.</li>
<li><strong>Optimize GROUP BY</strong>: For grouped queries, ensure proper indexing on grouping columns.</li>
</ol>
<hr />
<h3><strong>Practical Use Cases</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li>Identify the lowest and highest sales in a dataset.</li>
<li>Determine the earliest or latest date of events.</li>
<li>Compare minimum and maximum metrics across different categories.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
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