Fill in the Blanks: Mastering SQL Window Functions


Fill in the Blanks Mastering SQL Window FunctionsOnline version Drills to master window functions in SQL by Good Sam 1 ORDER BY amount amount sale_date AS SELECT sale_date FROM running_total sales SUM OVER Problem 1 : Calculate Running Total Question : You have a table sales ( sale_date DATE , amount DECIMAL ) . Write a SQL query to calculate a running total of amount , ordered by sale_date . Solution : , , ( ) ( ) ; 2 ROWS UNBOUNDED ORDER as as amount BETWEEN AND amount BETWEEN amount OVER 3 FROM as SELECT BETWEEN sales OVER FOLLOWING BY moving_avg sales amount ROWS CURRENT moving_avg amount SELECT OVER ORDER FOLLOWING AND ROW SELECT sale_date sale_date BY current_avg CURRENT sale_date BY sale_date OVER sale_date ROWS amount as ROWS sale_date sales ROW AVG ROW sale_date SELECT SUM ORDER sales FROM PRECEDING CURRENT FROM BETWEEN OVER ORDER BY FROM ORDER BETWEEN ROW amount as CURRENT AND AND SUM amount FROM UNBOUNDED running_total sum_to_end ROWS PRECEDING sale_date AND 6 3 CURRENT AVG PRECEDING sale_date AVG sales ROW amount BY Problem 2 : Calculate Moving Average Question : Calculate a 7 - day moving average of sales from the sales table . Solution : , , ( ) ( ) ; Example 2 : Fixed Range with Both PRECEDING and FOLLOWING , , ( ) ( ) ; This calculates the average amount using a window that includes three rows before , the current row , and three rows after the current row . Example 3 : From Start of Data to Current Row , , ( ) ( ) ; This query computes a running total starting from the first row in the partition or result set up to the current row . Example 4 : Current Row to End of Data SELECT sale_date , amount , ( ) ( ) ; This sums the amount from the current row to the last row of the partition or result set . Example 5 : Current Row Only , , ( ) ( ) ; This calculates the average of just the current row's amount , which effectively returns the amount itself . 3 OVER FROM AS id total_purchases RANK total_purchases name SELECT rank DESC customers ORDER BY Problem 3 : Rank Customers by Sales Question : From a table customers ( id INT , name VARCHAR , total_purchases DECIMAL ) , rank customers based on their total_purchases in descending order . Solution : , , , ( ) ( ) ; Explanation : RANK ( ) assigns a unique rank to each row , with gaps in the ranking for ties , based on the total_purchases in descending order . 4 ORDER amount ROW_NUMBER() OVER FROM sales sale_date sale_date SELECT row_num AS BY Problem 4 : Row Numbering Question : Assign a unique row number to each sale in the sales table ordered by sale_date . Solution : , , ( ) ; Explanation : ROW_NUMBER ( ) generates a unique number for each row , starting at 1 , based on the ordering of sale_date . 5 first_purchase FROM SELECT MIN purchases AS purchase_date OVER customer_id customer_id PARTITION BY Problem 5 : Find the First Purchase Date for Each Customer Question : Given a table purchases ( customer_id INT , purchase_date DATE ) , write a SQL query to find the first purchase date for each customer . Solution : , ( ) ( ) ; Explanation : MIN ( ) window function is used here , partitioned by customer_id so that the minimum purchase date is calculated for each customer separately . 6 FROM sale_date sales_data SELECT sale_date amount ORDER amount amount LAG OVER amount AS ORDER AS 1 sale_date LAG change_in_amount BY BY 1 previous_day_amount OVER The LAG function is very useful in scenarios where you need to compare successive entries or calculate differences between them . For example , calculating day - over - day sales changes : SELECT sale_date , amount , LAG ( amount , 1 ) OVER ( ORDER BY sale_date ) AS previous_day_amount , amount - LAG ( amount , 1 ) OVER ( ORDER BY sale_date ) AS change_in_amount FROM sales_data ; , , ( , ) ( ) , - ( , ) ( ) ; In this query , the change_in_amount field computes the difference in sales between consecutive days . If the LAG function references a row that doesn't exist ( e . g . , the first row in the dataset ) , it will return NULL unless a default value is specified . The LAG window function in SQL is used to access data from a previous row in the same result set without the need for a self - join . It's a part of the SQL window functions that provide the ability to perform calculations across rows that are related to the current row . LAG is particularly useful for comparisons between records in ordered data . How LAG Works : LAG takes up to three arguments : Expression : The column or expression you want to retrieve from a preceding row . Offset : An optional integer specifying how many rows back from the current row the function should look . If not specified , the default is 1 , meaning the immediate previous row . Default : An optional argument that provides a default value to return if the LAG function attempts to go beyond the first row of the dataset . Syntax : LAG ( expression , offset , default ) OVER ( [ PARTITION BY partition_expression ] ORDER BY sort_expression )

1

ORDER BY amount amount sale_date AS SELECT sale_date FROM running_total sales SUM OVER

Problem 1 : Calculate Running Total
Question : You have a table sales ( sale_date DATE , amount DECIMAL ) . Write a SQL query to calculate a running total of amount , ordered by sale_date .

Solution :

, ,
( ) ( )
;

2

ROWS UNBOUNDED ORDER as as amount BETWEEN AND amount BETWEEN amount OVER 3 FROM as SELECT BETWEEN sales OVER FOLLOWING BY moving_avg sales amount ROWS CURRENT moving_avg amount SELECT OVER ORDER FOLLOWING AND ROW SELECT sale_date sale_date BY current_avg CURRENT sale_date BY sale_date OVER sale_date ROWS amount as ROWS sale_date sales ROW AVG ROW sale_date SELECT SUM ORDER sales FROM PRECEDING CURRENT FROM BETWEEN OVER ORDER BY FROM ORDER BETWEEN ROW amount as CURRENT AND AND SUM amount FROM UNBOUNDED running_total sum_to_end ROWS PRECEDING sale_date AND 6 3 CURRENT AVG PRECEDING sale_date AVG sales ROW amount BY

Problem 2 : Calculate Moving Average
Question : Calculate a 7 - day moving average of sales from the sales table .

Solution :

, ,
( ) ( )
;

Example 2 : Fixed Range with Both PRECEDING and FOLLOWING

, ,
( ) ( )
;

This calculates the average amount using a window that includes three rows before , the current row , and three rows after the current row .

Example 3 : From Start of Data to Current Row
, ,
( ) ( )
;

This query computes a running total starting from the first row in the partition or result set up to the current row .

Example 4 : Current Row to End of Data
SELECT sale_date , amount ,
( ) ( )
;

This sums the amount from the current row to the last row of the partition or result set .

Example 5 : Current Row Only
, ,
( ) ( )
;

This calculates the average of just the current row's amount , which effectively returns the amount itself .

3

OVER FROM AS id total_purchases RANK total_purchases name SELECT rank DESC customers ORDER BY

Problem 3 : Rank Customers by Sales

Question : From a table customers ( id INT , name VARCHAR , total_purchases DECIMAL ) , rank customers based on their total_purchases in descending order .

Solution :

, , ,
( ) ( )
;
Explanation : RANK ( ) assigns a unique rank to each row , with gaps in the ranking for ties , based on the total_purchases in descending order .

4

ORDER amount ROW_NUMBER() OVER FROM sales sale_date sale_date SELECT row_num AS BY

Problem 4 : Row Numbering

Question : Assign a unique row number to each sale in the sales table ordered by sale_date .

Solution :

, ,
( )
;

Explanation : ROW_NUMBER ( ) generates a unique number for each row , starting at 1 , based on the ordering of sale_date .

5

first_purchase FROM SELECT MIN purchases AS purchase_date OVER customer_id customer_id PARTITION BY

Problem 5 : Find the First Purchase Date for Each Customer
Question : Given a table purchases ( customer_id INT , purchase_date DATE ) , write a SQL query to find the first purchase date for each customer .

Solution :

, ( ) ( )
;

Explanation : MIN ( ) window function is used here , partitioned by customer_id so that the minimum purchase date is calculated for each customer separately .

6

FROM sale_date sales_data SELECT sale_date amount ORDER amount amount LAG OVER amount AS ORDER AS 1 sale_date LAG change_in_amount BY BY 1 previous_day_amount OVER

The LAG function is very useful in scenarios where you need to compare successive entries or calculate differences between them . For example , calculating day - over - day sales changes :

SELECT sale_date ,
amount ,
LAG ( amount , 1 ) OVER ( ORDER BY sale_date ) AS previous_day_amount ,
amount - LAG ( amount , 1 ) OVER ( ORDER BY sale_date ) AS change_in_amount
FROM sales_data ;

,
,
( , ) ( ) ,
- ( , ) ( )
;

In this query , the change_in_amount field computes the difference in sales between consecutive days . If the LAG function references a row that doesn't exist ( e . g . , the first row in the dataset ) , it will return NULL unless a default value is specified .

The LAG window function in SQL is used to access data from a previous row in the same result set without the need for a self - join . It's a part of the SQL window functions that provide the ability to perform calculations across rows that are related to the current row . LAG is particularly useful for comparisons between records in ordered data .

How LAG Works :
LAG takes up to three arguments :

Expression : The column or expression you want to retrieve from a preceding row .
Offset : An optional integer specifying how many rows back from the current row the function should look . If not specified , the default is 1 , meaning the immediate previous row .
Default : An optional argument that provides a default value to return if the LAG function attempts to go beyond the first row of the dataset .
Syntax :
LAG ( expression , offset , default ) OVER ( [ PARTITION BY partition_expression ] ORDER BY sort_expression )

Mastering SQL Window Functions

You can integrate the game into an LMS compatible with LTI 1.1 or LTI 1.3 such as Canvas, Moodle, or Blackboard. This way, the scores will be automatically saved into the platform’s gradebook.

Mastering SQL Window Functions