What Does GROUP BY 1 Mean in SQL

The GROUP BY clause is an effective tool that aggregates information based mostly on precise columns, facilitating the assessment of massive datasets.

GROUP BY 1 clause is a variant of the GROUP BY clause and in this article, we will learn the workings of SQL GROUP BY 1 clause with examples and see how to use it in a database.

What is GROUP BY 1 Clause?

GROUP BY 1 in SQL groups data by the first column in the SELECT statement, regardless of the name. It is similar to GROUP BY.

Syntax

SELECT column1, column2, COUNT(∗)
FROM table_name
GROUP BY 1;

In this example, GROUP BY 1 shows that the grouping ought to be performed based on the primary column mentioned within the SELECT clause, particularly ‘column1.’ This can beautify question clarity, specifically in scenarios wherein the column names are lengthy.

Note: In SQL, GROUP BY clause can be used with columns in any order. The number 1,2,3.. represent the ordinal position of columns in
SELECT statement. For Example- "GROUP BY 1,2,3", "GROUP BY 3,2,1" or "GROUP BY 3,2,1".

SQL GROUP BY 1 Examples

Create a ‘sales‘ table with columns ‘product,’ ‘region,’ and ‘revenue.’ This table will be used in examples below.

product	region	revenue
ProductA	North	1500.00
ProductB	South	2000.50
ProductC	East	1200.75
ProductA	West	1800.25
ProductB	North	2500.60
ProductC	South	1350.00
ProductA	East	1600.80
ProductB	West	2100.30
ProductC	North	1850.40
ProductA	South	2200.90

To create this table, write the following SQL queries:

MySQL

CREATE TABLE sales (
    product VARCHAR(255),
    region VARCHAR(255),
    revenue DECIMAL(10, 2)
);
INSERT INTO sales (product, region, revenue)
VALUES
    ('ProductA', 'North', 1500.00),
    ('ProductB', 'South', 2000.50),
    ('ProductC', 'East', 1200.75),
    ('ProductA', 'West', 1800.25),
    ('ProductB', 'North', 2500.60),
    ('ProductC', 'South', 1350.00),
    ('ProductA', 'East', 1600.80),
    ('ProductB', 'West', 2100.30),
    ('ProductC', 'North', 1850.40),
    ('ProductA', 'South', 2200.90);

After creating the table, look at the problem statements and solutions.

Example 1

GROUP BY 1 on region column:

SELECT region, COUNT(*), SUM(revenue)
FROM sales
GROUP BY 

Output:

After Executiing sbove query we will be getting below output:

Output of the Query

Explanation:

In this example, GROUP BY 1 simplifies the grouping system based on the primary column, ‘region.’ It calculates the count and total revenue for each specific area, providing a clean precis of income statistics.

Example 2

GROUP BY 1 on product column:

SELECT product, COUNT(*), SUM(revenue)
FROM sales
GROUP BY 1;

Output:

After Executiing sbove query we will be getting below output:

Ouput of Query

Explanation:

In this example, GROUP BY 1 simplifies the grouping system based on the primary column, ‘product.’ It calculates the count and total revenue for each specific product, providing a clean precis of income statistics.

Advantages of GROUP BY 1

• Conciseness and Readability: Using GROUP BY 1 could make your queries more concise and readable, in particular in conditions wherein multiple columns are worried. It streamlines the code by referencing columns numerically, lowering the need to repetitively specify column names.
• Adaptability: GROUP BY 1 presents a stage of adaptability, specifically while you need to make quick modifications for your queries. If the order of columns in the SELECT clause changes, you do not have to adjust the GROUP BY clause – it routinely aligns with the new order.

Conclusion

The GROUP BY 1 clause in SQL gives a convenient and concise technique to group the data totally based on the numerical index of columns inside the SELECT clause. While it may not be as express as specifying column names, it can notably improve code readability and adaptableness, particularly in complex queries.

GROUP BY 1 is not a conventional practice, as the query might give different results if new data is added in the database. It should only be used for data exploration as it is a short query and avoids typing mistakes of column names.