SQL Select Last

The SQL SELECT statement is fundamental, allowing you to query data from a specific table or view. However, sometimes you don't need all the data – you just want the last entry, the latest piece of the puzzle. This is where SQL SELECT LAST comes into play.

Understanding the Syntax

Before dive into practical examples, let's understand the syntax of the LAST() function. In SQL, the LAST() function retrieves the last value from a specified column of a table. The syntax is straightforward:

SELECT LAST (Field_Name) FROM Table_Name;

• LAST: Denotes the last row to be shown in the output.
• Field_Name: Represents the column whose last value you want to retrieve.
• Table_Name: Specifies the table from which the data is pulled.

With this foundation, you're ready to put SQL SELECT LAST into action.

Example 1: Creating a Table and Inserting Data

To illustrate how SQL SELECT LAST works, let's create a simple table, "Students," and insert some data:

CREATE TABLE Student
(
StudentID INT NOT NULL,
StudentName varchar(100),
StudentCourse varchar(50),
StudentAge INT,
StudentMarks INT
);

INSERT INTO Student VALUES (101, 'Anuj', 'B.tech', 20, 88);
-- More INSERT statements...

Viewing the Data

Now that our table is populated, you can view the entire dataset with the following SQL query:

SELECT * FROM Student;

This will display all the student records. But what if you only want the last student's name?

Retrieving the Last Student Name

SQL SELECT LAST allows you to achieve this with ease:

SELECT LAST (StudentName) AS LastStudent FROM Student;

By executing this query, you'll receive the name of the last student in the "Student" table.

Using the LIMIT Clause in MySQL

MySQL offers another way to achieve the same result: using the LIMIT clause with ORDER BY. Let's explore this technique.

Syntax of LIMIT Clause in MySQL

To access the last record in MySQL, you can use the LIMIT clause. Here's the syntax:

SELECT column_Name FROM Table_Name ORDER BY Column_Name DESC LIMIT 1;

In this syntax, "LIMIT 1" ensures that only one row, i.e., the last one, is retrieved.

Example: Retrieving the Last Student's City

Suppose you have a "Student" table with details of students. To find the last recorded student's city, you can execute the following MySQL query:

SELECT StudentCity FROM Student ORDER BY StudentCity DESC LIMIT 1;