Faster with a sub-query then without - Mailing list pgsql-performance

I thought this could generate some interesting discussion.  Essentially,
there are three queries below, two using sub-queries to change the way
the randomized information (works first by author and then by work) and
the original which simply randomizes out of all works available.

The one not using sub-queries under EXPLAIN ANALYZE proves itself to be
less efficient and have a far higher cost then those with the penalty of
a sub-query.   Since this seems to be counter to what I have been told
in the past, I thought I would bring this forward and get some
enlightenment.

    Martin Foster
    Creator/Designer Ethereal Realms
    martin@ethereal-realms.org

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SELECT
  g.GalleryID,
  w.WorkID,
  w.WorkName,
  w.WorkImageThumbnail,
  g.GalleryRating,
  g.GalleryPenName
FROM ethereal.Work w, ethereal.Gallery g
WHERE w.GalleryID = g.GalleryID
  AND g.GalleryPrivacy = 'no'
  AND w.WorkImageThumbnail IS NOT NULL
  AND g.PuppeteerLogin = (SELECT PuppeteerLogin
   FROM ethereal.Gallery
   WHERE GalleryType='image'
   GROUP BY PuppeteerLogin
   ORDER BY RANDOM() LIMIT 1)
ORDER BY RANDOM() LIMIT 1

  Limit  (cost=60.70..60.70 rows=1 width=100) (actual time=1.013..1.013
rows=0 loops=1)
    InitPlan
      ->  Limit  (cost=6.36..6.37 rows=1 width=11) (actual
time=0.711..0.713 rows=1 loops=1)
            ->  Sort  (cost=6.36..6.45 rows=33 width=11) (actual
time=0.708..0.708 rows=1 loops=1)
                  Sort Key: random()
                  ->  HashAggregate  (cost=5.45..5.53 rows=33 width=11)
(actual time=0.420..0.553 rows=46 loops=1)
                        ->  Seq Scan on gallery  (cost=0.00..5.30
rows=60 width=11) (actual time=0.007..0.227 rows=59 loops=1)
                              Filter: ((gallerytype)::text = 'image'::text)
    ->  Sort  (cost=54.33..54.37 rows=16 width=100) (actual
time=1.009..1.009 rows=0 loops=1)
          Sort Key: random()
          ->  Nested Loop  (cost=0.00..54.01 rows=16 width=100) (actual
time=0.981..0.981 rows=0 loops=1)
                ->  Seq Scan on gallery g  (cost=0.00..5.56 rows=2
width=24) (actual time=0.855..0.888 rows=1 loops=1)
                      Filter: (((galleryprivacy)::text = 'no'::text) AND
((puppeteerlogin)::text = ($0)::text))
                ->  Index Scan using pkwork on "work" w
(cost=0.00..24.10 rows=8 width=80) (actual time=0.080..0.080 rows=0 loops=1)
                      Index Cond: (w.galleryid = "outer".galleryid)
                      Filter: (workimagethumbnail IS NOT NULL)
  Total runtime: 1.211 ms

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SELECT
  g.GalleryID,
  w.WorkID,
  w.WorkName,
  w.WorkImageThumbnail,
  g.GalleryRating,
  g.GalleryPenName
FROM ethereal.Work w, ethereal.Gallery g
WHERE w.GalleryID = g.GalleryID
  AND g.GalleryPrivacy = 'no'
  AND w.WorkImageThumbnail IS NOT NULL
  AND g.GalleryPenName = (SELECT GalleryPenName
   FROM ethereal.Gallery
   WHERE GalleryType='image'
   GROUP BY GalleryPenName
   ORDER BY RANDOM() LIMIT 1)
ORDER BY RANDOM() LIMIT 1

  Limit  (cost=59.92..59.92 rows=1 width=100) (actual time=0.904..0.906
rows=1 loops=1)
    InitPlan
      ->  Limit  (cost=6.69..6.69 rows=1 width=14) (actual
time=0.731..0.733 rows=1 loops=1)
            ->  Sort  (cost=6.69..6.79 rows=42 width=14) (actual
time=0.729..0.729 rows=1 loops=1)
                  Sort Key: random()
                  ->  HashAggregate  (cost=5.45..5.56 rows=42 width=14)
(actual time=0.431..0.568 rows=48 loops=1)
                        ->  Seq Scan on gallery  (cost=0.00..5.30
rows=60 width=14) (actual time=0.011..0.233 rows=59 loops=1)
                              Filter: ((gallerytype)::text = 'image'::text)
    ->  Sort  (cost=53.23..53.27 rows=16 width=100) (actual
time=0.899..0.899 rows=1 loops=1)
          Sort Key: random()
          ->  Nested Loop  (cost=0.00..52.91 rows=16 width=100) (actual
time=0.808..0.862 rows=6 loops=1)
                ->  Index Scan using idxgallery_pen on gallery g
(cost=0.00..4.45 rows=2 width=24) (actual time=0.767..0.769 rows=1 loops=1)
                      Index Cond: ((gallerypenname)::text = ($0)::text)
                      Filter: ((galleryprivacy)::text = 'no'::text)
                ->  Index Scan using pkwork on "work" w
(cost=0.00..24.10 rows=8 width=80) (actual time=0.020..0.042 rows=6 loops=1)
                      Index Cond: (w.galleryid = "outer".galleryid)
                      Filter: (workimagethumbnail IS NOT NULL)
  Total runtime: 1.117 ms

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SELECT
  g.GalleryID,
  w.WorkID,
  w.WorkName,
  w.WorkImageThumbnail,
  g.GalleryRating,
  g.GalleryPenName
FROM ethereal.Work w, ethereal.Gallery g
WHERE w.GalleryID = g.GalleryID
  AND g.GalleryType = 'image'
  AND g.GalleryPrivacy = 'no'
  AND w.WorkImageThumbnail IS NOT NULL
ORDER BY RANDOM() LIMIT 1

--------
  Limit  (cost=111.73..111.73 rows=1 width=100) (actual
time=13.021..13.023 rows=1 loops=1)
    ->  Sort  (cost=111.73..113.70 rows=786 width=100) (actual
time=13.017..13.017 rows=1 loops=1)
          Sort Key: random()
          ->  Hash Join  (cost=5.55..73.93 rows=786 width=100) (actual
time=1.081..8.320 rows=803 loops=1)
                Hash Cond: ("outer".galleryid = "inner".galleryid)
                ->  Seq Scan on "work" w  (cost=0.00..54.47 rows=817
width=80) (actual time=0.006..2.207 rows=817 loops=1)
                      Filter: (workimagethumbnail IS NOT NULL)
                ->  Hash  (cost=5.30..5.30 rows=100 width=24) (actual
time=0.669..0.669 rows=0 loops=1)
                      ->  Seq Scan on gallery g  (cost=0.00..5.30
rows=100 width=24) (actual time=0.020..0.402 rows=100 loops=1)
                            Filter: ((galleryprivacy)::text = 'no'::text)
  Total runtime: 13.252 ms