The WITH TIES option is used in conjunction with the TOP clause in SQL to include additional rows that tie with the last row of the set that meets the specified criteria. This is particularly useful when you want to retrieve a specific number of rows but also include any resulting identical values that would otherwise be excluded by a strict limit.
Here’s how you can use the WITH TIES option in your SQL query:
Basic Syntax
SELECT TOP (n) WITH TIES column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
ORDER BY column_name;
Explanation
- TOP (n): Specifies the number of rows to return.
- WITH TIES: Instructs SQL Server to include any additional rows that have the same values in the columns specified in the ORDER BY clause as the last row in the result set.
- ORDER BY: You must include an ORDER BY clause to determine the order of the rows being evaluated.
Example
Suppose you have a table named Employees with the following structure:
| EmployeeID | Name | Salary |
|------------|----------|--------|
| 1 | John Doe | 50000 |
| 2 | Jane Doe | 60000 |
| 3 | Jim Beam | 60000 |
| 4 | Alice | 70000 |
If you want to select the top 2 highest salaries and include any ties, you could write the following query:
SELECT TOP (2) WITH TIES EmployeeID, Name, Salary
FROM Employees
ORDER BY Salary DESC;
Results of the Query
Given the above data, the result of this query would be:
| EmployeeID | Name | Salary |
|------------|----------|--------|
| 4 | Alice | 70000 |
| 2 | Jane Doe | 60000 |
| 3 | Jim Beam | 60000 |
In this case, even though only 2 rows were specified in the TOP clause, Jim Beam is included in the result because he has the same salary as Jane Doe, who is in the top 2.
Notes
- The WITH TIES option requires that any ORDER BY specification to determine ties is utilized.
- The WITH TIES option is available in SQL Server and some other SQL databases, but the exact syntax may vary among different systems. Always consult your specific database documentation for detailed usage.