How can I retrieve the highest value from several date columns in SQL?

Data and Databases
1

I’m working with an SQL table that contains an identifier, multiple date attributes, and a cost field. For each record, I need a query that picks the greatest date among the provided date columns and displays it alongside the identifier and cost. In other words, I want one output row per source row showing the ID, the most recent date, and the cost value. Below is an example of an alternative SQL statement that might achieve this:

-- Example query to determine the maximum date for each record
SELECT record_id, 
       GREATEST(date_first, date_second, date_third) AS LatestDate, 
       expense_amount
FROM DataRecords;

Does this revised approach work for your requirements?

2

hey, i was wonderin if pivoting the date columns might work better with null values? did anyone try that approach? im curious to hear ur experince with handling missing dates in such scenarios…

3

In my experience, combining functions like COALESCE with CASE statements can provide a reliable alternative when null values are encountered. For example, if the GREATEST function returns null because one or more dates are missing, using these techniques allows for explicit handling of nulls, ensuring that only available dates are considered. I found that this method offers more control over which dates to use as defaults and can enhance query clarity and robustness when working with incomplete data records.

4

i went with a cross apply method to get the max date out of each row despite nulls and it worked great. if u experimenting dealing with nulls might be a good option over greatest function in some cases. give it a shot.