FIREBIRD SELECT GREATEST
lazarus / 16-Databases

----------------------------------------------------------------------
jack · 2012-02-29 15:01

I am trying to create a query using Select Greatest but I get an error
"Unexpected end of command" at the last character of my command.  Is
there some unique syntax to Firebird?

example:
SELECT GREATEST (1,2,3,4,5);
Should Return 5
This is often given as the example for this command in other DBMS
docs.

Thanks for your help.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tankard · 2012-02-29 15:20

select max (1,2,3,4,5);

----------------------------------------------------------------------
jack · 2012-02-29 16:01

Here is the less trivial problem that I am trying to solve.
I want to find the greater of the state or federal minimum wage on the
date for which the payroll is being calculated.
========================================
SELECT GREATEST(
(SELECT FMW_AMOUNT FROM FED_MIN_WAGE WHERE FMW_DATE =
(SELECT MAX(FMW_DATE) from FED_MIN_WAGE WHERE FMW_DATE <
current_date))
,
(SELECT SMW_AMOUNT FROM STATE_MIN_WAGE WHERE SMW_DATE =
(SELECT MAX(SMW_DATE) from STATE_MIN_WAGE WHERE SMW_DATE <
current_date))
)
===================================================
Again thanks for your reply but MAX does not work here either.
I have tried running quires on other simple examples and get same
error, unexpected end of command.
e.g. maxvalue(1,2,3,4); also fails.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
fredycc · 2012-02-29 17:20

Maybe this works in your case:

Select maxvalue(1,2,3,4,5) As GREATEST
from RDB$DATABASE

Regards

----------------------------------------------------------------------
jack · 2012-02-29 19:24

Indeed it does work, Thank you.
I shall endeavor to understand why it works at a later time.