Writing Basic CTEs

Step-by-step Guide to Writing Your First CTE

Common Table Expressions (CTEs) offer a way to structure and simplify complex SQL queries. Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing your first CTE:

Start with the WITH Clause:

Begin your query with the WITH keyword. This signals the start of the CTE.

WITH CTE_Name AS (

Define the CTE:

Inside the parentheses, write a standard SQL query. This query defines the CTE and can include SELECT, JOIN, WHERE, and other clauses.

SELECT column1, column2
FROM your_table
WHERE your_conditions
)

Use the CTE in Your Main Query:

After defining the CTE, you can reference it in your main query as if it were a regular table.

SELECT * FROM CTE_Name;