sorry, missing GROUP BY and some column naming was messed up but hopefully you get the idea: SELECT c.id, c.firstname, c.lastname, a.latest_billdate FROM customers c INNER JOIN -- or LEFT if you want the NULLs ( SELECT customerid, max(billdate) as latest_billdate FROM ar GROUP BY customerid ) a USING (customerid) WHERE c.status = 'new'; > -----Original Message----- > From: pgsql-general-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:pgsql-general-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of George Pavlov > Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 8:53 AM > To: Demel, Jeff; pgsql-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: [GENERAL] Subqueries - performance and use question > > try this approach: > > SELECT > c.id, > c.firstname, > c.lastname, > a.latest_billdate > FROM > customers c > INNER JOIN -- or LEFT if you want the NULLs > ( > SELECT > customer_id, > max(billdate) as latest_billdate > FROM > ar > ) a > ON > c.customerid = a.customerid > WHERE > c.status = 'new'; > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: pgsql-general-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > [mailto:pgsql-general-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Demel, Jeff > > Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 8:08 AM > > To: pgsql-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > Subject: [GENERAL] Subqueries - performance and use question > > > > I need some basic advice on how to run a subquery, or if there's a > > better way. Let me set up a situation, and get some advice > > on it. This > > is my first post on this list, so I hope this kind of noob > question is > > ok. > > > > Say I have a table of customers and table of accounts receivable > > transactions, There is a one-to-many relationship between the two > > (obviously a customer can have more than one purchase/transaction). > > > > I want to run a query where I pull a set of customers based on some > > parameter like, for sake of an example, where their status > = new, and > > also pull the most recent billing date from the accounts receivable > > table. > > > > Here's what I came up with: > > > > SELECT customers.id, customers.firstname, > > customers.lastname, customers.phone number, > > (SELECT ar.billdate FROM ar > > WHERE customers.customerid = ar.customerid > > ORDER BY ar.billdate LIMIT 1) > > AS lastarbilldate > > FROM customers > > WHERE customers.status = 'new'; > > > > As you can see, I'm using a subquery here to get the latest billing > > date. My question is twofold. Is this subquery style the > only way to > > get one record in a one-to-many relationship, or is there a > > way to do it > > with a join? Also, if this is fine, is there a way to do it > > that would > > get the same results but be faster? It may not matter on a small > > database, but if you've got millions of customers and > transactions, a > > subquery can get expensive. > > > > I'm just looking for some basic direction. I hope my fake > > example makes > > sense. > > > > I'm running PostgreSQL 8.1, on a Windows 2003 server. > > > > TIA > > > > -Jeff > > This email is intended only for the individual or entity to > > which it is addressed. This email may contain information > > that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from > > disclosure. Dissemination, distribution or copying of this > > e-mail or any attachments by anyone other than the intended > > recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering > > the message to the intended recipient, is prohibited. If you > > are not the intended recipient of this message or the > > employee or agent responsible for delivery of this email to > > the intended recipient, please notify the sender by replying > > to this message and then delete it from your system. Any > > use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this > > message by unintended recipients is strictly prohibited and > > may be unlawful. > > > > ---------------------------(end of > > broadcast)--------------------------- > > TIP 3: Have you checked our extensive FAQ? > > > > http://www.postgresql.org/docs/faq > > > > ---------------------------(end of > broadcast)--------------------------- > TIP 1: if posting/reading through Usenet, please send an appropriate > subscribe-nomail command to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > so that your > message can get through to the mailing list cleanly >