Using a SELECT statement within a WHERE clause

Question

SELECT * FROM ScoresTable WHERE Score = 
  (SELECT MAX(Score) FROM ScoresTable AS st WHERE st.Date = ScoresTable.Date)

Is there a name to describe

Answer 1

This is a correlated sub-query.

(It is a "nested" query - this is very non-technical term though)

The inner query takes values from the outer-query (WHERE st.Date = ScoresTable.Date) thus it is evaluated once for each row in the outer query.

There is also a non-correlated form in which the inner query is independent as as such is only executed once.

e.g.

 SELECT * FROM ScoresTable WHERE Score = 
   (SELECT MAX(Score) FROM Scores)

There is nothing wrong with using subqueries, except where they are not needed :)

Your statement may be rewritable as an aggregate function depending on what columns you require in your select statement.

SELECT Max(score), Date FROM ScoresTable 
Group By Date