Re: select max(field) from table much faster with a group by clause? - Mailing list pgsql-performance

From Tom Lane
Subject Re: select max(field) from table much faster with a group by clause?
Date
Msg-id 4305.1193924619@sss.pgh.pa.us
Whole thread Raw
In response to select max(field) from table much faster with a group by clause?  (Palle Girgensohn <girgen@pingpong.net>)
Responses Re: select max(field) from table much faster with a group by clause?  (Palle Girgensohn <girgen@pingpong.net>)
Re: select max(field) from table much faster with a group by clause?  (Palle Girgensohn <girgen@pingpong.net>)
List pgsql-performance
Palle Girgensohn <girgen@pingpong.net> writes:
> When running
>  select max("when") from login where userid='userid'
> it takes a second or two, but when adding "group by userid" the planner
> decides on using another plan, and it gets *much* faster. See example below.

It's only faster for cases where there are few or no rows for the
particular userid ...

> Number of tuples per user varies from zero to a couple of thousands.

The planner is using an intermediate estimate of 406 rows.  You might be
well advised to increase the statistics target for login.userid --- with
luck that would help it to choose the right plan type for both common
and uncommon userids.

            regards, tom lane

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