MIN_BY

Returns the value of the first argument for the row that contains the minimum of the second argument. If the minimum of the second argument is not unique, an arbitrary non-NULL value of the first argument is returned from the set of rows that minimize the second argument. If the first argument is NULL for all rows minimizing the second argument, NULL is returned.

Syntax

MIN_BY(<result>, <value>)

Parameters

Parameter	Description	Supported input types
<result>	The column from which the value is returned	Any type
<value>	The column that is minimized	Any type

Return Types

Same as input type of

Example

For this example, see the following table, tournaments:

name	totalprizedollars
The Drift Championship	22,048
The Lost Track Showdown	5,336
The Acceleration Championship	19,274
The French Grand Prix	237
The Circuit Championship	9,739

In the example below, MIN_BY is used to find the name of the tournament with the lowest total prize.

SELECT
	MIN_BY(name, totalprizedollars) as minprizetournament
FROM
	tournaments

Returns: The French Grand Prix

When multiple rows minimize the second argument, an arbitrary one is chosen, preferring non-NULL values of the first argument:

SELECT MIN_BY(key, value)
FROM UNNEST(
    ['a', NULL, 'c', 'd', 'e', NULL],
    [10,  1,    100,  1,   1,  NULL]
) t(key, value)

Returns 'd' or 'e', as rows 2, 4, and 5 minimize the second argument, but the first argument is NULL for row 2. Because non-NULL values of the first argument exist for the other rows, one of those values is returned. Which of them is non-deterministic, hence this query may return either 'd' or 'e'.

However, if all rows minimizing the second argument are NULL in the first argument, NULL is returned:

SELECT MIN_BY(key, value)
FROM UNNEST(
    ['a', NULL, 'c', 'd', NULL, 'f'],
    [10,  1,    100,  2,   1,  NULL]
) t(key, value)

Returns NULL.