[sql] SQL Row_Number() function in Where Clause

I found one question answered with the Row_Number() function in the where clause. When I tried one query, I was getting the following error:

"Msg 4108, Level 15, State 1, Line 1 Windowed functions can only appear in the SELECT or ORDER BY clauses."

Here is the query I tried. If somebody knows how to solve this, please let me know.

SELECT employee_id 
FROM V_EMPLOYEE 
WHERE row_number() OVER ( ORDER BY employee_id ) > 0 
ORDER BY Employee_ID

This question is related to sql sql-server tsql analytic-functions

The answer is


Select * from 
(
    Select ROW_NUMBER() OVER ( order by Id) as 'Row_Number', * 
    from tbl_Contact_Us
) as tbl
Where tbl.Row_Number = 5

Using CTE (SQL Server 2005+):

WITH employee_rows AS (
  SELECT t.employee_id,
         ROW_NUMBER() OVER ( ORDER BY t.employee_id ) 'rownum'
    FROM V_EMPLOYEE t)
SELECT er.employee_id
  FROM employee_rows er
 WHERE er.rownum > 1

Using Inline view/Non-CTE Equivalent Alternative:

SELECT er.employee_id
  FROM (SELECT t.employee_id,
               ROW_NUMBER() OVER ( ORDER BY t.employee_id ) 'rownum'
          FROM V_EMPLOYEE t) er
 WHERE er.rownum > 1

 select salary from (
 select  Salary, ROW_NUMBER() over (order by Salary desc) rn from Employee 
 ) t where t.rn = 2

based on OP's answer to question:

Please see this link. Its having a different solution, which looks working for the person who asked the question. I'm trying to figure out a solution like this.

Paginated query using sorting on different columns using ROW_NUMBER() OVER () in SQL Server 2005

~Joseph

"method 1" is like the OP's query from the linked question, and "method 2" is like the query from the selected answer. You had to look at the code linked in this answer to see what was really going on, since the code in the selected answer was modified to make it work. Try this:

DECLARE @YourTable table (RowID int not null primary key identity, Value1 int, Value2 int, value3 int)
SET NOCOUNT ON
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (1,1,1)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (1,1,2)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (1,1,3)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (1,2,1)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (1,2,2)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (1,2,3)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (1,3,1)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (1,3,2)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (1,3,3)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (2,1,1)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (2,1,2)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (2,1,3)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (2,2,1)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (2,2,2)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (2,2,3)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (2,3,1)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (2,3,2)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (2,3,3)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (3,1,1)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (3,1,2)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (3,1,3)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (3,2,1)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (3,2,2)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (3,2,3)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (3,3,1)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (3,3,2)
INSERT INTO @YourTable VALUES (3,3,3)
SET NOCOUNT OFF

DECLARE @PageNumber     int
DECLARE @PageSize       int
DECLARE @SortBy         int

SET @PageNumber=3
SET @PageSize=5
SET @SortBy=1


--SELECT * FROM @YourTable

--Method 1
;WITH PaginatedYourTable AS (
SELECT
    RowID,Value1,Value2,Value3
        ,CASE @SortBy
             WHEN  1 THEN ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY Value1 ASC)
             WHEN  2 THEN ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY Value2 ASC)
             WHEN  3 THEN ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY Value3 ASC)
             WHEN -1 THEN ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY Value1 DESC)
             WHEN -2 THEN ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY Value2 DESC)
             WHEN -3 THEN ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY Value3 DESC)
         END AS RowNumber
    FROM @YourTable
    --WHERE
)
SELECT
    RowID,Value1,Value2,Value3,RowNumber
        ,@PageNumber AS PageNumber, @PageSize AS PageSize, @SortBy AS SortBy
    FROM PaginatedYourTable
    WHERE RowNumber>=(@PageNumber-1)*@PageSize AND RowNumber<=(@PageNumber*@PageSize)-1
    ORDER BY RowNumber



--------------------------------------------
--Method 2
;WITH PaginatedYourTable AS (
SELECT
    RowID,Value1,Value2,Value3
        ,ROW_NUMBER() OVER
         (
             ORDER BY
                 CASE @SortBy
                     WHEN  1 THEN Value1
                     WHEN  2 THEN Value2
                     WHEN  3 THEN Value3
                 END ASC
                ,CASE @SortBy
                     WHEN -1 THEN Value1
                     WHEN -2 THEN Value2
                     WHEN -3 THEN Value3
                 END DESC
         ) RowNumber
    FROM @YourTable
    --WHERE  more conditions here
)
SELECT
    RowID,Value1,Value2,Value3,RowNumber
        ,@PageNumber AS PageNumber, @PageSize AS PageSize, @SortBy AS SortBy
    FROM PaginatedYourTable
    WHERE 
        RowNumber>=(@PageNumber-1)*@PageSize AND RowNumber<=(@PageNumber*@PageSize)-1
        --AND more conditions here
    ORDER BY
        CASE @SortBy
            WHEN  1 THEN Value1
            WHEN  2 THEN Value2
            WHEN  3 THEN Value3
        END ASC
       ,CASE @SortBy
            WHEN -1 THEN Value1
            WHEN -2 THEN Value2
            WHEN -3 THEN Value3
        END DESC

OUTPUT:

RowID  Value1 Value2 Value3 RowNumber  PageNumber  PageSize    SortBy
------ ------ ------ ------ ---------- ----------- ----------- -----------
10     2      1      1      10         3           5           1
11     2      1      2      11         3           5           1
12     2      1      3      12         3           5           1
13     2      2      1      13         3           5           1
14     2      2      2      14         3           5           1

(5 row(s) affected

RowID  Value1 Value2 Value3 RowNumber  PageNumber  PageSize    SortBy
------ ------ ------ ------ ---------- ----------- ----------- -----------
10     2      1      1      10         3           5           1
11     2      1      2      11         3           5           1
12     2      1      3      12         3           5           1
13     2      2      1      13         3           5           1
14     2      2      2      14         3           5           1

(5 row(s) affected)

SELECT  employee_id
FROM    (
        SELECT  employee_id, ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY employee_id) AS rn
        FROM    V_EMPLOYEE
        ) q
WHERE   rn > 0
ORDER BY
        Employee_ID

Note that this filter is redundant: ROW_NUMBER() starts from 1 and is always greater than 0.


I think you want something like this:

SELECT employee_id 
FROM  (SELECT employee_id, row_number() 
       OVER (order by employee_id) AS 'rownumber' 
       FROM V_EMPLOYEE) TableExpressionsMustHaveAnAliasForDumbReasons
WHERE rownumber > 0

In response to comments on rexem's answer, with respect to whether a an inline view or CTE would be faster I recast the queries to use a table I, and everyone, had available: sys.objects.

WITH object_rows AS (
    SELECT object_id, 
        ROW_NUMBER() OVER ( ORDER BY object_id) RN
    FROM sys.objects)
SELECT object_id
FROM object_rows
WHERE RN > 1

SELECT object_id
FROM (SELECT object_id, 
        ROW_NUMBER() OVER ( ORDER BY object_id) RN
    FROM sys.objects) T
WHERE RN > 1

The query plans produced were exactly the same. I would expect in all cases, the query optimizer would come up with the same plan, at least in simple replacement of CTE with inline view or vice versa.

Of course, try your own queries on your own system to see if there is a difference.

Also, row_number() in the where clause is a common error in answers given on Stack Overflow. Logicaly row_number() is not available until the select clause is processed. People forget that and when they answer without testing the answer, the answer is sometimes wrong. (A charge I have myself been guilty of.)


I feel like all the answers showing use of a CTE or Sub Query are sufficient fixes for this, but I don't see anyone getting to the heart of why OP has a problem. The reason why what OP suggested doesn't work is due to logical query processing order here:

  1. FROM
  2. ON
  3. JOIN
  4. WHERE
  5. GROUP BY
  6. WITH CUBE/ROLLUP
  7. HAVING
  8. SELECT
  9. DISTINCT
  10. ORDER BY
  11. TOP
  12. OFFSET/FETCH

I believe this contributes to the answer greatly, because it explains why issues like this one occur. WHERE is always processed before SELECT making a CTE or Sub Query necessary for many functions. You will see this a lot in SQL Server.


WITH MyCte AS 
(
    select 
       employee_id,
       RowNum = row_number() OVER (order by employee_id)
    from V_EMPLOYEE 
)
SELECT  employee_id
FROM    MyCte
WHERE   RowNum > 0
ORDER BY employee_id

To get around this issue, wrap your select statement in a CTE, and then you can query against the CTE and use the windowed function's results in the where clause.

WITH MyCte AS 
(
    select   employee_id,
             RowNum = row_number() OVER ( order by employee_id )
    from     V_EMPLOYEE 
    ORDER BY Employee_ID
)
SELECT  employee_id
FROM    MyCte
WHERE   RowNum > 0

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