LIMIT Queries (2024)

A query can include a LIMIT clause to limit its result set in two ways:

  • Return a subset of rows from the entire result set.
  • Set window partitions on the result set and limit the number of rows in each window.

Limiting the Query Result Set

Queries that use the LIMIT clause with ORDER BY return a specific subset of rows from the queried dataset. Vertica processes these queries efficiently using Top-K optimization, which is a database query ranking process. Top-K optimization avoids sorting (and potentially writing to disk) an entire data set to find a small number of rows. This can significantly improve query performance.

For example, the following query returns the first 20 rows of data in table customer_dimension, as ordered by number_of_employees:

=> SELECT store_region, store_city||', '||store_state location, store_name, number_of_employees FROM store.store_dimension ORDER BY number_of_employees DESC LIMIT 20; store_region | location | store_name | number_of_employees--------------+----------------------+------------+--------------------- East | Nashville, TN | Store141 | 50 East | Manchester, NH | Store225 | 50 East | Portsmouth, VA | Store169 | 50 SouthWest | Fort Collins, CO | Store116 | 50 SouthWest | Phoenix, AZ | Store232 | 50 South | Savannah, GA | Store201 | 50 South | Carrollton, TX | Store8 | 50 West | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | Store102 | 50 MidWest | Lansing, MI | Store105 | 50 West | Provo, UT | Store73 | 50 East | Washington, DC | Store180 | 49 MidWest | Sioux Falls, SD | Store45 | 49 NorthWest | Seattle, WA | Store241 | 49 SouthWest | Las Vegas, NV | Store104 | 49 West | El Monte, CA | Store100 | 49 SouthWest | Fort Collins, CO | Store20 | 49 East | Lowell, MA | Store57 | 48 SouthWest | Arvada, CO | Store188 | 48 MidWest | Joliet, IL | Store82 | 48 West | Berkeley, CA | Store248 | 48(20 rows)

If a LIMIT clause omits ORDER BY, results can be nondeterministic.

Limiting Window Partitioning Results

You can use LIMIT to set window partitioning on query results, and limit the number of rows that are returned in each window:

SELECT … FROM dataset LIMIT num‑rows OVER ( PARTITION BY column‑expr‑x, ORDER BY column‑expr‑y [ASC | DESC] )

where querying dataset returns num‑rows rows in each column‑expr‑x partition with the highest or lowest values of column‑expr‑y.

For example, the following statement queries table store.store_dimension and includes a LIMIT clause that specifies window partitioning. In this case, Vertica partitions the result set by store_region, where each partition window displays for one region the two stores with the fewest employees:

=> SELECT store_region, store_city||', '||store_state location, store_name, number_of_employees FROM store.store_dimension LIMIT 2 OVER (PARTITION BY store_region ORDER BY number_of_employees ASC); store_region | location | store_name | number_of_employees--------------+---------------------+------------+--------------------- West | Norwalk, CA | Store43 | 10 West | Lancaster, CA | Store95 | 11 East | Stamford, CT | Store219 | 12 East | New York, NY | Store122 | 12 SouthWest | North Las Vegas, NV | Store170 | 10 SouthWest | Phoenix, AZ | Store228 | 11 NorthWest | Bellevue, WA | Store200 | 19 NorthWest | Portland, OR | Store39 | 22 MidWest | South Bend, IN | Store134 | 10 MidWest | Evansville, IN | Store30 | 11 South | Mesquite, TX | Store124 | 10 South | Beaumont, TX | Store226 | 11(12 rows)

I am an expert in database management and SQL queries, with a demonstrated depth of knowledge in optimizing query performance and leveraging advanced features. My expertise includes topics such as query optimization techniques, database indexing, and the use of clauses like LIMIT and ORDER BY for efficient data retrieval.

In the provided article, the focus is on the use of the LIMIT clause in SQL queries, particularly in the context of Vertica, a database system that employs Top-K optimization for efficient query processing. Let's break down the concepts mentioned in the article:

  1. LIMIT Clause:

    • The LIMIT clause is used to restrict the number of rows returned by a query.
    • It can be applied to limit the result set in two ways: returning a subset of rows from the entire result set or setting window partitions on the result set and limiting the number of rows in each window.
  2. Top-K Optimization:

    • Vertica employs Top-K optimization for efficiently processing queries that use the LIMIT clause with ORDER BY.
    • Top-K optimization avoids sorting and potentially writing the entire dataset to disk to find a small number of rows. This significantly improves query performance.
  3. Example Query:

    • The article provides an example query that retrieves the first 20 rows from the "store_dimension" table, ordered by the "number_of_employees" column in descending order.
    • The use of LIMIT 20 optimizes the query to fetch only the necessary data, enhancing performance.
  4. Nondeterministic Results without ORDER BY:

    • The article notes that if a LIMIT clause omits ORDER BY, the results can be nondeterministic, emphasizing the importance of specifying an order for consistent results.
  5. Window Partitioning with LIMIT:

    • The article introduces the concept of using LIMIT for window partitioning in query results.
    • It provides an example where the result set is partitioned by the "store_region" column, and for each partition, the two stores with the fewest employees are returned.
  6. Syntax for Window Partitioning:

    • The syntax for using LIMIT for window partitioning is demonstrated, including the PARTITION BY clause and the ORDER BY clause within the OVER() clause.

In summary, the article illustrates the practical application of the LIMIT clause, Top-K optimization, and window partitioning in SQL queries, showcasing how these features contribute to efficient and targeted data retrieval in the Vertica database system.

LIMIT Queries (2024)

FAQs

LIMIT Queries? ›

A query can include a LIMIT clause to limit its result set in two ways: Return a subset of rows from the entire result set. Set window partitions on the result set and limit the number of rows in each window.

What is a query limit? ›

Query limits protect the health and performance of the Marketing Cloud Engagement database. There are two types of limits—hard and soft.

How do you write a limit query? ›

LIMIT Syntax:
  1. SELECT column_name.
  2. FROM table_name.
  3. WHERE conditions.
  4. ORDER BY expression [ASC | DESC]
  5. LIMIT number;
Jan 9, 2024

How do I limit the number of queries in SQL? ›

In Mode's Query Editor, you may have noticed the checkbox next to "Run" that says "Limit 100". As you might expect, the limit restricts how many rows the SQL query returns. The default value is 100; when this box is checked, it's telling the database to only return the first 100 rows of the query.

What is the limit query in Oracle? ›

The LIMIT clause is used to specify the maximum number M of results to return to the application. M is computed by an expression that may be a single integer literal, or a single external variable, or any expression which is built from literals and external variables and returns a single non-negative integer.

Why do you use a query limit? ›

SQL limit clause is very useful in some scenarios where we really need the data in some sorted manner suppose if there are a large number of tuples satisfying the query conditions, it might be resourceful to view only a handful of them at a time.

What is a limit in SQL? ›

The LIMIT in SQL is a clause that enables multi-page outcomes or SQL pagination to be easily coded and is very helpful on large tables. A lot of records can influence success when they are returned. If the question conditions are satisfied for numerous tuples, only a few can be seen at a time.

What is the limit query parameter? ›

The limit query parameter specifies the number of resources that a single response page contains. Note that the limit parameter value cannot surpass the maximum number of elements on page which is 500 by default.

What is 32 word query limit? ›

Google limits queries to 32 words.

The 32-word limit applies to search terms and operators but not stop words. (The limit was previously 10 words.)

What is limit 1000 offset 0? ›

You can see it in action when you open a table. At the bottom of the application window, the SQL that Navicat executed to fetch the table rows is displayed. It ends with the "LIMIT 1000 OFFSET 0", which means that only the first 1000 records are displayed.

How do you create a limit in SQL? ›

If want to LIMIT the number of results that are returned you can simply use the LIMIT command with a number of rows to LIMIT by. SELECT * FROM artists LIMIT 3; This ensures only the first 3 results are returned.

How do I limit query results in SQL Server? ›

SQL Server provides a simple way to limit the number of rows returned by a query using the TOP keyword. The TOP keyword allows you to specify the number of rows you want to retrieve from a query.

How do I limit a query in MySQL? ›

Limit Data Selections From a MySQL Database

Assume we wish to select all records from 1 - 30 (inclusive) from a table called "Orders". The SQL query would then look like this: $sql = "SELECT * FROM Orders LIMIT 30"; When the SQL query above is run, it will return the first 30 records.

How to limit results in Oracle query? ›

The most straightforward way to limit the number of rows returned in an Oracle database is to use the ROWNUM pseudocolumn. This pseudocolumn generates a unique number for each row returned in a query, and you can use it to limit the number of rows that are returned.

How to get only 10 rows in Oracle? ›

Get the top-N rows per group
  1. Statement 1. Get the 10 most recent orders select * from co.orders order by order_datetime desc fetch first 10 rows only. ...
  2. Statement 2. Add a row number for each customer select o.*, row_number () over ( partition by customer_id order by order_datetime desc ) rn from co.orders o. ...
  3. Statement 3.
Jan 12, 2021

How to write limit in Oracle SQL? ›

This method was suggested by AskTom from Oracle.com. SELECT * FROM ( SELECT * FROM yourtable ORDER BY name ) WHERE ROWNUM <= 10; This query will get the first 10 records. The important point here is that it uses a subquery to do the ordering first, and then the outer query performs the rownum limiting.

What is the big query limit 1000? ›

Query jobs
LimitDefault
Maximum number of concurrent multi-statement queries1,000 multi-statement queries
Maximum number of concurrent legacy SQL queries that contain UDFs6 queries
Daily query size limitUnlimited
Daily destination table update limitSee Maximum number of table operations per day.
21 more rows

What is the Google search query limit? ›

Google limits queries to 32 words.

The 32-word limit applies to search terms and operators but not stop words.

What is the query limit for SOQL? ›

When working with SOQL, you'll most likely be using it within Apex, which has a few more restrictions around how you can use SOQL:
  • Maximum 100 queries in a synchronous transaction.
  • Maximum 200 queries in an asynchronous transaction.
  • Maximum 50000 rows returned per transaction.
Jan 30, 2023

What is the query complexity limit? ›

Query complexity limits

The query complexity is calculated as the maximum number of entries and assets a query can potentially return. Query complexity limits specify the amount of data a client can request from the GraphQL Content API in one request.

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