SQL: Using COUNT and GROUP BY in One Select Statement - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

In SQL, it's common to use the COUNT function to count the number of rows in a table. However, sometimes we need to group the results by a certain column. This is where the GROUP BY clause comes in handy. In this article, we'll explore how to use COUNT and GROUP BY in one SELECT statement to get the desired output.

Step-by-Step Guide

Let's say we have a table called "orders" with the following columns: order_id, customer_id, and date_ordered. We want to count the number of orders for each customer. Here's how we can do it in SQL:

SELECT customer_id, COUNT(order_id)
FROM orders
GROUP BY customer_id;

Let's break down this statement step by step:

1. We start with the SELECT keyword to specify the columns we want to retrieve from the table.
2. Next, we use the COUNT function to count the number of order_ids for each customer_id.
3. Then, we specify the table we want to retrieve data from using the FROM keyword.
4. After that, we use the GROUP BY clause to group the results by customer_id.
5. Finally, we end the statement with a semicolon (;) to indicate the end of the statement.

This statement will give us the number of orders for each customer in the "orders" table.

Conclusion

Using COUNT and GROUP BY in one SELECT statement is a powerful feature in SQL. It allows us to count the number of rows for each group in a table. By following the step-by-step guide above, you can easily write a SQL statement that counts the number of orders for each customer in your own table.