Oracle SQL Query Tuning Hints

WHERE Clause
Try to avoid operations on database objects referenced in the WHERE clause.

Given Query Alterna

SELECT ename, hiredate, sal SELECT ename, hiredate, sal
FROM emp FROM emp
WHERE SUBSTR(ename,1,3) = 'SCO'; WHERE ename LIKE 'SCO%';
VARIABLE name VARCHAR2(20) VARIABLE name VARCHAR2(20)
exec name := 'SCOTT' exec name := 'SCOTT'

SELECT ename, hiredate, sal SELECT ename, hiredate, sal

FROM emp FROM emp
WHERE ename = NVL (:name, ename); WHERE ename LIKE NVL (:name
SELECT ename, hiredate, sal SELECT ename, hiredate, sal
FROM emp FROM emp
WHERE TRUNC (hiredate) = TRUNC (SYSDATE); WHERE hiredate BETWEEN TRUN
AND TRUNC (SYSDATE) + .99
SELECT ename, hiredate, sal SELECT ename, hiredate, sal
FROM emp FROM emp
WHERE ename || empno = 'SCOTT7788'; WHERE ename = 'SCOTT
AND empno = 7788;
SELECT ename, hiredate, sal SELECT ename, hiredate, sal
FROM emp FROM emp
WHERE sal + 3000 < 5000; WHERE sal < 2000;
SELECT ename, hiredate, sal SELECT ename, hiredate, sal
FROM emp FROM emp
WHERE sal != 0; WHERE sal > 0;

HAVING Clause
The HAVING clause filters selected rows only after all rows have been fetched. Using a WHERE clause h
summing, etc. HAVING clauses should only be used when columns with summary operations applied to
clause.

Given Query Alternati

SELECT d.dname, AVG (e.sal) SELECT d.dname, AVG (e.sal)
FROM emp e, dept d FROM emp e, dept d
WHERE e.deptno = d.deptno WHERE e.deptno = d.deptno
GROUP BY d.dname AND dname != 'RESEAECH'
HAVING dname != 'RESEAECH' AND dname != 'SALES'
AND dname != 'SALES'; GROUP BY d.dname;

Combined Subqueries
Minimize the number of table lookups (subquery blocks) in queries, particularly if your statements includ
multicolumn UPDATEs.

Separate Subqueries Combined Subqu

SELECT ename SELECT ename
FROM emp FROM emp
WHERE sal = (SELECT MAX (sal) WHERE (sal,comm) = (SELECT MAX (sal
FROM lookup) MAX(comm
AND comm = (SELECT MAX (comm) FROM lookup);
FROM lookup);

EXISTS, NOT IN, Table Joins

Consider the alternatives EXISTS, IN and table joins when doing multiple table joins. None of the
depends on your data.

SELECT ename
FROM emp E
WHERE EXISTS (SELECT 'X'
FROM dept
WHERE deptno = E.deptno
AND dname = 'ACCOUNTING');
SELECT ename
FROM emp E
WHERE deptno IN (SELECT deptno
FROM dept
WHERE deptno = E.deptno
AND dname = 'ACCOUNTING');
SELECT ename
FROM dept D, emp E
WHERE E.deptno = D.deptno
AND D.dname = 'ACCOUNTING';

DISTINCT
Avoid joins that require the DISTINCT qualifier on the SELECT list in queries which are used to de
end of a one-to-many relationship. The DISTINCT operator causes Oracle to fetch all rows satisf
and filter out duplicate values. EXISTS is a faster alternative, because the Oracle optimizer realiz
satisfied once, there is no need to proceed further and the next matching row can be fetched.

Given Query Alternative

SELECT DISTINCT d.deptno, d.dname SELECT d.deptno, d.dname
FROM dept D, FROM dept D
emp E WHERE EXISTS (SELECT 'X'
WHERE D.deptno = E.deptno; FROM emp E
WHERE E.deptno = D.d

ION ALL
Consider whether a UNION ALL will suffice in place of a UNION. The UNION clause forces all rows
UNION to be sorted and merged and duplicates to be filtered before the first row is returned. A
 including duplicates and does not have to perform any sort, merge or filter. If your tables are m
duplicate records), or you don't care if duplicates are returned, the UNION ALL is much more effi

UNION UNION A
SELECT acct, balance SELECT acct, balance
FROM debit FROM debit
WHERE trandate = '31-DEC-95' WHERE trandate = '31-DEC-95'
UNION UNION ALL
SELECT acct, balance SELECT acct, balance
FROM credit FROM credit
WHERE trandate = '31-DEC-95'; WHERE trandate = '31-DEC-95';

DECODE
Consider using DECODE to avoid having to scan the same rows repetitively or join the same tabl
not necessarily faster as it depends on your data and the complexity of the resulting query. Also,
change your code when new values are allowed in the field.

SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM emp
WHERE status = 'Y'
AND ename LIKE 'SMITH%';
----------
SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM emp
WHERE status = 'N'
AND ename LIKE 'SMITH%';
SELECT COUNT(DECODE(status, 'Y', 'X', NULL)) Y_count,
COUNT(DECODE(status, 'N', 'X', NULL)) N_count
FROM emp
WHERE ename LIKE 'SMITH%';

Anti Joins
An anti-join is used to return rows from a table that that are present in another table. It might be used
EMP to return only those rows in DEPT that didn't join to anything in EMP;

SELECT *
FROM dept
WHERE deptno NOT IN (SELECT deptno FROM EMP);
SELECT dept.*
FROM dept, emp
WHERE dept.deptno = emp.deptno (+)
AND emp.ROWID IS NULL;
SELECT *
FROM dept
WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT NULL FROM emp WHERE emp.deptno = dept.deptno);

Outer Joins
Normally, an outer join of table A to table B would return every record in table A, and if it had a mate in
as well. Every row in table A would be output, but some rows of table B might not appear in the result s
ebery row in table A, as well as every row in table B. The syntax for a full outer join is new in Oracle 9i,
it is possible to produce full outer joins sets using conventional SQL.

update emp set deptno = 9 where deptno = 10;

commit;

Conventional SQL New Syntax

SELECT empno, ename, dept.deptno, dname SELECT empno, ename,
FROM emp, dept NVL(dept.deptno,emp.deptno)
WHERE emp.deptno(+) = dept.deptno FROM emp FULL OUTER JOIN dept ON
UNION ALL (emp.deptno = dept.deptno)
SELECT empno, ename, emp.deptno, NULL ORDER BY 1,2,3,4;
FROM emp, dept
WHERE emp.deptno = dept.deptno(+)
AND dept.deptno IS NULL
ORDER BY 1,2,3,4;

EMPNO ENAME DEPTNO DNAME EMPNO ENAME DEPTNO DN

---------- ---------- ---------- -------------- ---------- ---------- ---------- --
7369 SMITH 20 RESEARCH 7369 SMITH 20 RE
7499 ALLEN 30 SALES 7499 ALLEN 30 SA
7521 WARD 30 SALES 7521 WARD 30 SA
7566 JONES 20 RESEARCH 7566 JONES 20 RE
7654 MARTIN 30 SALES 7654 MARTIN 30 SA
7698 BLAKE 30 SALES 7698 BLAKE 30 SA
7782 CLARK 9 7782 CLARK 9
7788 SCOTT 20 RESEARCH 7788 SCOTT 20 RE
7839 KING 9 7839 KING 9
7844 TURNER 30 SALES 7844 TURNER 30 SA
7876 ADAMS 20 RESEARCH 7876 ADAMS 20 RE
7900 JAMES 30 SALES 7900 JAMES 30 SA
7902 FORD 20 RESEARCH 7902 FORD 20 RE
7934 MILLER 9 7934 MILLER 9
10 ACCOUNTING 10 AC
40 OPERATIONS 40 OP

VIEWS
The inline view is a construct in Oracle SQL where you can place a query in the SQL FROM, clause, just

OK, so why use the complicated select in the first place? Why not just create the view? Well, one good
gives you another database object to maintain, and adds more complexity to your system. By placing t
you have all of the code needed to support the query in one place.

The Power of Inline Views

Overview
The inline view is a construct in Oracle SQL where you can place a query in the SQL FROM, clause, just

OK, so why use the complicated select in the first place? Why not just create the view? Well, one good
gives you another database object to maintain, and adds more complexity to your system. By placing t
you have all of the code needed to support the query in one place.

If you have a query as the following ...

SELECT a
FROM table
WHERE id = :id
AND b = (SELECT MAX (b)
FROM table
WHERE id = :id)

... it can be worth to check if an inline view, instead of the subquery will be faster.

Example 1 (Replace Subquery for MAX)

With Subquery

CREATE TABLE test (id INT, height INT, acc_date DATE);

INSERT INTO test (id, height, acc_date)

SELECT MOD(ROWNUM,1000), DBMS_RANDOM.RANDOM,
SYSDATE-1000+DBMS_RANDOM.VALUE(0,1000)
FROM all_objects;

6357 rows created.

COMMIT;

CREATE INDEX test_idx on test (id, acc_date, height);

Index created.

ANALYZE TABLE test COMPUTE STATISTICS

FOR TABLE
FOR ALL INDEXES
FOR ALL INDEXED COLUMNS;

Table analyzed.

alter session set timed_statistics=true;

alter session set sql_trace=true;

VARIABLE b1 NUMBER
exec :b1 := 10
ALTER SESSION SET TIMED_STATISTICS=TRUE;
ALTER SESSION SET SQL_TRACE=TRUE;

SELECT max(height)
from test
WHERE id = :b1
AND acc_date = (SELECT MAX(acc_date)
FROM test
WHERE id = :b1);

MAX(HEIGHT)
-----------
1480603530

Elapsed: 00:00:00.12

Execution Plan
----------------------------------------------------------
0 SELECT STATEMENT Optimizer=CHOOSE (Cost=2 Card=1 Bytes=17)
1 0 SORT (AGGREGATE)
2 1 INDEX (RANGE SCAN) OF 'TEST_IDX' (NON-UNIQUE) (Cost=2 Card=1 Bytes=17)
3 2 SORT (AGGREGATE)
4 3 FIRST ROW (Cost=2 Card=6 Bytes=60)
5 4 INDEX (RANGE SCAN (MIN/MAX)) OF 'TEST_IDX' (NON-UNIQUE) (Cost=2 Car

tkprof gek1_ora_16520.trc gek1_ora_16520.out explain=scott/tiger sort=exeela sys=no

call count cpu elapsed disk query current rows

------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Parse 1 0.00 0.00 0 0 0 0
Execute 1 0.00 0.00 0 2 0 0
Fetch 2 0.00 0.00 0 2 0 1
------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
total 4 0.00 0.00 0 4 0 1

With Inline View

VARIABLE b1 NUMBER
exec :b1 := 10

SELECT height
FROM (SELECT height
FROM test
WHERE id = :b1
ORDER BY id DESC, acc_date DESC, height DESC)
WHERE ROWNUM = 1;

HEIGHT
----------
1480603530

Execution Plan
----------------------------------------------------------
0 SELECT STATEMENT Optimizer=CHOOSE (Cost=2 Card=1 Bytes=13)
 1 0 COUNT (STOPKEY)
2 1 VIEW (Cost=2 Card=6 Bytes=78)
3 2 INDEX (RANGE SCAN DESCENDING) OF 'TEST_IDX' (NON-UNIQUE) (Cost=2 Card=6

tkprof gek1_ora_16521.trc gek1_ora_16521.out explain=scott/tiger sort=exeela sys=no

call count cpu elapsed disk query current rows

------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Parse 1 0.03 0.06 2 41 0 0
Execute 1 0.00 0.00 0 0 0 0
Fetch 2 0.00 0.00 0 2 0 1
------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
total 4 0.03 0.06 2 43 0 1

Example 2 (Replace Subquery for MAX)

Original Query from a trace session:

SELECT switch_time,rat_id
FROM tariff
WHERE effdate = (SELECT MAX(effdate)
FROM tariff
WHERE effdate <= TRUNC(:b1)
AND weekday = :b2
AND t_id = :b3)
AND TO_CHAR(switch_time,'HH24:MI') <= TO_CHAR(:b1,'HH24:MI')
AND weekday = :b2
AND t_id = :b3
ORDER BY TO_CHAR(switch_time,'HH24:MI') DESC

With Subquery

alter session set timed_statistics=true;

select value from v$parameter where name = 'user_dump_dest';
alter session set sql_trace=true;

VARIABLE b1 VARCHAR2(19)
exec :b1 := '07.04.1999:13:30:31'

VARIABLE b2 NUMBER
exec :b2 := 2

VARIABLE b3 NUMBER
exec :b3 := 317

SELECT switch_time, rat_id

FROM tariff
WHERE effdate = (SELECT MAX(effdate)
FROM tariff
WHERE effdate <= TRUNC(TO_DATE(:b1,'DD.MM.YYYY:HH24:MI:SS'))
AND weekday = :b2
AND T_ID = :b3)
AND TO_CHAR(switch_time,'HH24:MI') <= TO_CHAR(TO_DATE(:b1,'DD.MM.YYYY:HH24:MI:SS'),'
 AND weekday = :b2
AND t_id = :b3
ORDER BY TO_CHAR(switch_time,'HH24:MI') DESC;

SWITCH_TI RAT_ID
--------- ----------
01-JAN-98 3
01-JAN-98 1

Execution Plan
----------------------------------------------------------
0 SELECT STATEMENT Optimizer=CHOOSE (Cost=4 Card=1 Bytes=21)
1 0 SORT (ORDER BY) (Cost=4 Card=1 Bytes=21)
2 1 FILTER
3 2 TABLE ACCESS (FULL) OF 'TARIFF' (Cost=2 Card=1 Bytes=21)
4 3 SORT (AGGREGATE)
5 4 FILTER
6 5 INDEX (RANGE SCAN) OF 'PK_TARIFF' (UNIQUE) (Cost=2 Card=1 Bytes=1

TKPROF:

tkprof xyz.trc xyz.out explain=user/pwd sort=exeela sys=no

call count cpu elapsed disk query current rows

------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Parse 1 0.00 0.00 0 0 0 0
Execute 1 0.00 0.00 0 0 0 0
Fetch 2 0.01 0.00 0 38 8 4
------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
total 4 0.01 0.00 0 38 8 4

Misses in library cache during parse: 0

Optimizer goal: CHOOSE

With Inline View

VARIABLE b1 VARCHAR2(19)
exec :b1 := '07.04.2005:13:30:31'

VARIABLE b2 NUMBER
exec :b2 := 2

VARIABLE b3 NUMBER
exec :b3 := 317

SELECT switch_time, rat_iD

FROM (SELECT switch_time, rat_id
FROM tariff
WHERE effdate <= TRUNC(TO_DATE(:b1,'DD.MM.YYYY:HH24:MI:SS'))
AND weekday = :b2
AND t_id = :b3
ORDER BY effdate DESC)
WHERE TO_CHAR(switch_time,'HH24:MI') <= TO_CHAR(TO_DATE(:b1,'DD.MM.YYYY:HH24:MI:SS'),'
SWITCH_TI RAT_ID
--------- ----------
01-JAN-98 3
01-JAN-98 1

Execution Plan
----------------------------------------------------------
0 SELECT STATEMENT Optimizer=CHOOSE (Cost=4 Card=1 Bytes=22)
1 0 VIEW (Cost=4 Card=1 Bytes=22)
2 1 SORT (ORDER BY) (Cost=4 Card=1 Bytes=21)
3 2 FILTER
4 3 TABLE ACCESS (BY INDEX ROWID) OF 'TARIFF' (Cost=2 Card=1 Bytes=21)
5 4 INDEX (RANGE SCAN) OF 'PK_TARIFF' (UNIQUE) (Cost=2 Card=1)

TKPROF:

tkprof xyz.trc xyz.out explain=user/pwd sort=exeela sys=no

call count cpu elapsed disk query current rows

------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Parse 1 0.00 0.00 0 0 0 0
Execute 1 0.00 0.00 0 0 0 0
Fetch 2 0.00 0.00 0 19 4 4
------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
total 4 0.00 0.00 0 19 4 4

Misses in library cache during parse: 0

Optimizer goal: CHOOSE

Example 3 (cannot have join with CONNECT BY)

Have you ever tried to join to a hierarchical query (a query using CONNECT BY and PRIOR) only to get t

ORA-01437: cannot have join with CONNECT BY

One of the limitations of hierarchical queries is that you cannot join to them. However, there are often t
them anyway. For instance, if the hierarchy table only has surrogate keys, and you would like to display
how you can use "Inline Views" to join tables to a hierarchical query.

SELECT level, LPAD(' ',2*level-2)||ename ename, empno, mgr, dept.deptno, dept.dname

FROM emp, dept
WHERE emp.deptno = dept.deptno
CONNECT BY PRIOr empno = mgr
START WITH empno = 7839;

ORA-01437: cannot have join with CONNECT BY

SELECT E.emplevel, SUBSTR(E.ename,1,15) "ENAME", E.empno, dept.deptno, dept.dname

FROM dept, (SELECT level emplevel, LPAD(' ',2*level-2)||ename ename, empno, mgr, dep
FROM emp
CONNECT BY PRIOR empno = mgr
START WITH empno = 7839) E
WHERE E.deptno = dept.deptno
/

EMPLEVEL ENAME EMPNO DEPTNO DNAME

---------- --------------- ---------- ---------- --------------
1 KING 7839 10 ACCOUNTING
2 CLARK 7782 10 ACCOUNTING
3 MILLER 7934 10 ACCOUNTING
2 JONES 7566 20 RESEARCH
3 SCOTT 7788 20 RESEARCH
4 ADAMS 7876 20 RESEARCH
3 FORD 7902 20 RESEARCH
4 SMITH 7369 20 RESEARCH
2 BLAKE 7698 30 SALES
3 ALLEN 7499 30 SALES
3 WARD 7521 30 SALES
3 MARTIN 7654 30 SALES
3 TURNER 7844 30 SALES
3 JAMES 7900 30 SALES

Example 3 (ROWNUM 1 Problem)

A rownum restriction starting with 1 works:

ROWNUM does not work for ranges that don't start at 1.

A ROWNUM restriction starting with 1 works:

SELECT ROWNUM,ename from emp WHERE ROWNUM BETWEEN 1 and 3

/

ROWNUM ENAME
---------- ----------
1 SMITH
2 ALLEN
3 WARD

However, if you try to use a range it will not work. For example:

SELECT ROWNUM,ename from emp WHERE ROWNUM BETWEEN 2 and 3

/

no rows selected

Using an Inline View to get around this limitation:

SELECT t1.rn, t1.ename

FROM (SELECT ROWNUM rn, ename
FROM emp) t1
WHERE t1.rn BETWEEN 2 and 3
/

The main trick to this query is the "internal" select statement. This select statement in the from clause,
table, then returns the values (along with the psuedo-column ROWNUM) to the "outside" query. The ou
the results of the internal query. In order to access the internal query's columns from the external quer
query an alias ("t1" highlighted below): This allows you to refer to the columns using the "t1" (highlight
psuedo-column and therefore a reserved word, you need to alias that column in the internal query in or
query:

Example 4 (ROWNUM and ORDER BY Problem, TOP-N Queries)

The following query form is almost wrong:

select * from emp where ROWNUM <= 5 order by sal desc; /* WRONG! */

EMPNO ENAME JOB MGR HIREDATE SAL COMM DEPTNO

---------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------- ----------
7566 JONES MANAGER 7839 02-APR-81 2975 20
7499 ALLEN SALESMAN 7698 20-FEB-81 1600 300 30
7521 WARD SALESMAN 7698 22-FEB-81 1250 500 30
7654 MARTIN SALESMAN 7698 28-SEP-81 1250 1400 30
7369 SMITH CLERK 7902 17-DEC-80 800 20

The users intention was most likely to get the the top-five paid people - a top-N query. What the will ge
five we happen to hit), sorted by salary. If you use an inline view with the ORDER BY inside the inline vi

select * from (select * from emp order by sal desc) where rownum <= 5;

EMPNO ENAME JOB MGR HIREDATE SAL COMM DEPTNO

---------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------- ----------
7839 KING PRESIDENT 17-NOV-81 5000 10
7788 SCOTT ANALYST 7566 09-DEC-82 3000 20
7902 FORD ANALYST 7566 03-DEC-81 3000 20
7566 JONES MANAGER 7839 02-APR-81 2975 20
7698 BLAKE MANAGER 7839 01-MAY-81 2850 30

Example 5 (Pagination with ROWNUM)

Pagination with ROWNUM can be used to get rows N thru M of a result set. The general form of this is a

SELECT *
FROM (SELECT a.*, ROWNUM rn
FROM (enter your query here) a
WHERE ROWNUM <= :MAX_ROW)
WHERE rn >= :MIN_ROW;

SELECT *
FROM (SELECT a.*, ROWNUM rn
FROM (SELECT * FROM emp) a
WHERE ROWNUM <= 6)
WHERE rn >= 2;

EMPNO ENAME JOB MGR HIREDATE SAL COMM DEPTNO

---------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------- ---------- -
7499 ALLEN SALESMAN 7698 20-FEB-81 1600 300 30
7521 WARD SALESMAN 7698 22-FEB-81 1250 500 30
7566 JONES MANAGER 7839 02-APR-81 2975 20
7654 MARTIN SALESMAN 7698 28-SEP-81 1250 1400 30
7698 BLAKE MANAGER 7839 01-MAY-81 2850 30