SQL Server 2005 – Most Efficient Way to Return Multiple Aggregates in a Single Stored Procedure

aggregatesql-server-2005stored-procedures

What is the best or most efficient way to get multiple aggregate result values?

Basically I have an email app and wanted to get all the numbers of messages for each type of folder (inbox, sent, archived, flagged… ) as defined below.

Here is a sample of things I am trying to do in one stored proc call. (where [uid] is the userID)

SELECT * FROM Message
Inbox    WHERE [to]    = [uid] 
Unread    WHERE [to]    = [uid] and isread = 0
Flagged    WHERE [to]    = [uid] and isFlagged = 1
Drafts    WHERE [to]    = [uid] and isDraft = 1
Sent Messages    WHERE [from] = [uid]
Archived Messages    WHERE [to]     = [uid] and isArchived = 1

Best Answer

COUNT..CASE is the usual way. For "Sent" though it's bit trickier because it's a different uid filter which requires 2 queries on the Message table

I've used this construct to allow for zero row for to/from. It avoids an OR and adding a uid filter to each CASE.

Each derived table (can write as a CTE) will return only one row and I've used a MAX on uid to avoid GROUP BY too in case anyone wonders

SELECT
    ISNULL(M.Inbox, 0) AS Inbox,
    ISNULL(M.Unread, 0) AS Unread,
    ISNULL(M.Flagged, 0) AS Flagged,
    ISNULL(M.Drafts, 0) AS Drafts,
    ISNULL(S.Sent, 0) AS Sent,
    ISNULL(M.Archived, 0) AS Archived
FROM
    (
    SELECT
        COUNT(*) AS InBox,
        COUNT(CASE WHEN isread = 0 THEN 1 ELSE NULL END) Unread,
        COUNT(CASE WHEN isFlagged = 1 THEN 1 ELSE NULL END) Flagged,
        COUNT(CASE WHEN isDraft = 1 THEN 1 ELSE NULL END) Drafts,
        S.Sent,
        COUNT(CASE WHEN isArchived = 0 THEN 1 ELSE NULL END) Archived
    FROM
        Message
    WHERE
        [to] = [uid] 
    ) M
    FULL OUTER JOIN
    (
    SELECT COUNT(*) AS Sent
    FROM Message
    WHERE [from] = [uid]
    ) S ON 1=1

Edit:

An aggregate without GROUP BY will always return a result (see SO here). I forgot that.

I've updated my SQL

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