Is there an ANSI SQL alternative to the MYSQL LIMIT keyword?

The LIMIT keyword limits the number of rows returned by a SELECT e.g:

SELECT * FROM People WHERE Age > 18 LIMIT 2;

returns 2 rows.

SELECT * FROM People WHERE Age > 18 LIMIT 10, 2;

returns 2 rows after the first 10.

jle

this shows the different ways:

-- DB2
select * from table fetch first 10 rows only 
-- Informix 
select first 10 * from table 
-- Microsoft SQL Server and Access 
select top 10 * from table 
-- MySQL and PostgreSQL 
select * from table limit 10 
-- Oracle 
select * from (select * from table) where rownum <= 10

Not in SQL:1999.

There are two possible approaches you can use in later standards, with generally low levels of support in today's DBMSs.

In SQL:2008 you can use the DB/2 syntax:

SELECT * FROM things
ORDER BY smell
FETCH FIRST n ROWS ONLY

This only works for “LIMIT n” and not the extended “LIMIT m, n” offset syntax. In SQL:2003 you can use window functions, which can support the extended syntax but is a super PITA:

SELECT * FROM (
    SELECT *, ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY smell) AS rn,
    FROM things
)
WHERE rn<=n -- or rn BETWEEN m+1 AND m+n

You will more usually use the DBMS-specific methods today.

groovehunter

SELECT * FROM T LIMIT 10 OFFSET 20 -- Netezza, MySQL, PostgreSQL (also supports the standard, since version 8.4), SQLite, HSQLDB, H2

SELECT * from T WHERE ROWNUM <= 10 -- Oracle (also supports the standard, since Oracle8i)

SELECT FIRST 10 * from T -- Ingres

SELECT FIRST 10 * FROM T order by a -- Informix

SELECT SKIP 20 FIRST 10 * FROM T order by c, d -- Informix (row numbers are filtered after order by is evaluated. SKIP clause was introduced in a v10.00.xC4 fixpack)

SELECT TOP 10 * FROM T -- MS SQL Server, Sybase ASE, MS Access

SELECT TOP 10 START AT 20 * FROM T -- Sybase SQL Anywhere (also supports the standard, since version 9.0.1)

SELECT FIRST 10 SKIP 20 * FROM T -- Interbase, Firebird

SELECT * FROM T ROWS 20 TO 30 -- Firebird (since version 2.1)

SELECT * FROM T
WHERE ID_T > 10 FETCH FIRST 10 ROWS ONLY -- DB2

SELECT * FROM T
WHERE ID_T > 20 FETCH FIRST 10 ROWS ONLY -- DB2 (new rows are filtered after comparing with key column of table T)

I don't believe so. All the databases that I'm aware of use vendor-specific keywords for that functionality.

Bill Karwin

Adding to @jle's answer: