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Topic #32

SQL Self Join

A self join links a table to itself, which sounds odd until you need to compare employees with their managers or find pairs of related products. It unlocks hierarchical queries.


SQL Self Join

A self join is a regular join, but the table is joined with itself.

Self Join Syntax

SELECT column_name(s)

FROM table1 T1, table1 T2

  WHERE condition;

T1 and T2 are different table aliases for the same table.


Demo Database

Below is a selection from the "Customers" table:

CustomerID CustomerName ContactName Address City PostalCode Country
1 Alfreds Futterkiste Maria Anders Obere Str. 57 Berlin 12209 Germany
2 Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados Ana Trujillo Avda. de la Constitución 2222 México D.F. 05021 Mexico
3 Antonio Moreno Taquería Antonio Moreno Mataderos 2312 México D.F. 05023 Mexico

SQL Self Join Example

The following SQL statement matches customers that are from the same city:

Example

  SELECT A.CustomerName AS CustomerName1, B.CustomerName AS CustomerName2,
  A.City
FROM Customers A, Customers B
WHERE A.CustomerID <> B.CustomerID

  AND A.City = B.City
ORDER BY A.City;

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SQL Self Join – FAQs

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