Window functions: frame-adhering aggregate without ORDER BY clause - Mailing list pgsql-sql

From Romain Carl
Subject Window functions: frame-adhering aggregate without ORDER BY clause
Date
Msg-id 4ecad084-cf68-641c-ce02-b07b0b4625c9@aol.com
Whole thread Raw
Responses Re: Window functions: frame-adhering aggregate without ORDER BY clause
List pgsql-sql
Hi Listers,

among the window tests (src/test/regress/expected/window.out), I noticed 
the presence of tests that rely upon the order of rows not determined by 
any ORDER BY clause, such as:

SELECT sum(unique1) over (rows between 2 preceding and 2 following 
exclude no others),
     unique1, four
FROM tenk1 WHERE unique1 < 10;

Expected result:

  sum | unique1 | four
-------+-----------+------
       7 |            4 |    0
     13 |            2 |    2
     22 |            1 |    1
     26 |            6 |    2
     29 |            9 |    1
     31 |            8 |    0
     32 |            5 |    1
     23 |            3 |    3
     15 |            7 |    3
     10 |            0 |    0
(10 rows)

The current row's frame and, consequently, the result of the sum 
aggregate depend on the order produced by the sequential scan of table 
tenk1. Since such order is, in general, not part of PG's defined 
behavior, what purpose do the tests that rely upon it serve?

Following up to that, how is an EXCLUDE GROUP defined to behave in 
absence of any ORDER BY clause? It seems to exclude the entire window 
frame according to this test:

SELECT sum(unique1) over (rows between 2 preceding and 2 following 
exclude group),
     unique1, four
FROM tenk1 WHERE unique1 < 10;

Expected result:

  sum | unique1 | four
-------+-----------+------
         |            4 |    0
         |            2 |    2
         |            1 |    1
         |            6 |    2
         |            9 |    1
         |            8 |    0
         |            5 |    1
         |            3 |    3
         |            7 |    3
         |            0 |    0
(10 rows)

Thanks in advance and best regards,
Romain




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