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SQL SELECT TOP Clause

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Here’s a clear and practical guide to the SQL SELECT TOP clause, including differences across database engines.

✅ Basic Usage (SQL Server / MS Access)

SELECT TOP 10 *
FROM employees;

This returns the first 10 rows based on the default ordering (or a specified ORDER BY).

🔥 SELECT TOP with ORDER BY

Always combine with ORDER BY to ensure predictable results:

SELECT TOP 5 name, salary
FROM employees
ORDER BY salary DESC;

🔧 SELECT TOP with PERCENT

Returns a percentage of rows:

SELECT TOP 20 PERCENT *
FROM products
ORDER BY created_at DESC;

⚠ Other Databases Don’t Use TOP

Different SQL engines use different syntax:

PostgreSQL / MySQL / SQLite — Use LIMIT

SELECT *
FROM employees
ORDER BY id
LIMIT 10;

Oracle — Use FETCH FIRST

SELECT *
FROM employees
ORDER BY id
FETCH FIRST 10 ROWS ONLY;

🔐 Best Practices

✔ Always pair TOP/LIMIT with an ORDER BY
✔ Avoid using TOP without specifying sorting (non-deterministic)
✔ For pagination, use OFFSET + LIMIT (PostgreSQL/MySQL/SQLite) or OFFSET with FETCH (SQL Server/Oracle)

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Sanjit Sinha — Web Developer | PHP • Laravel • CodeIgniter • MySQL • Bootstrap Founder, CodeCapsule — Student projects & practical coding guides. Email: info@codecapsule.in • Website: CodeCapsule.in

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