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Top n

2 snippets in SQL

Also written as top N

SQLSQL

LIMIT and OFFSET

SQL · Basic Queries
Syntax
SELECT columns FROM table LIMIT count OFFSET skip;
Example
SELECT product_name, price
FROM products
ORDER BY created_at DESC
LIMIT 10 OFFSET 20;
Output
-- Returns rows 21-30 (skips first 20, then takes 10)

Note MySQL/PostgreSQL use LIMIT. SQL Server uses TOP or FETCH FIRST. High OFFSET values degrade performance because the database still scans skipped rows.

RANK and DENSE_RANK

SQL · Window Functions
Syntax
RANK() OVER (ORDER BY column)
DENSE_RANK() OVER (ORDER BY column)
Example
SELECT
  product_name,
  price,
  RANK() OVER (ORDER BY price DESC) AS rank,
  DENSE_RANK() OVER (ORDER BY price DESC) AS dense_rank
FROM products;
Output
-- product_name | price  | rank | dense_rank
-- Laptop       | 999.00 | 1    | 1
-- Tablet       | 499.00 | 2    | 2
-- Phone        | 499.00 | 2    | 2
-- Keyboard     | 49.99  | 4    | 3  <-- rank skips 3, dense_rank doesn't

Note RANK leaves gaps after ties (1, 2, 2, 4). DENSE_RANK does not (1, 2, 2, 3). Choose based on whether you need contiguous numbers or positional accuracy.

Frequently asked questions

How does SQL handle top n?
SQL covers this with 2 copy-ready snippets on this page. The "LIMIT and OFFSET" snippet in SQL uses `SELECT columns FROM table LIMIT count OFFSET skip;`.
Which statement does the SQL example use?
The "LIMIT and OFFSET" snippet uses `SELECT columns FROM table LIMIT count OFFSET skip;`, from the Basic Queries section of the SQL cheat sheet.
What other SQL snippets are shown for "top n"?
Besides "LIMIT and OFFSET", this page also shows "RANK and DENSE_RANK".
Is there anything to watch out for?
Yes. For "LIMIT and OFFSET": MySQL/PostgreSQL use LIMIT. SQL Server uses TOP or FETCH FIRST. High OFFSET values degrade performance because the database still scans skipped rows.

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