Consistent with Microsoft SQL Server yes (but version 2005 onwards has better standard support.) SQL in general have a wider variety of standard and non-standard methods.
As for intuitive... Is is really intuitive to mash the number of rows to return together with the column specification? For me it feels more natural to keep it close to ORDER BY... but then I learned SQL using Postgresql. :) 2011/2/6 Michael Teper <[email protected]>: > Given the new set of choices, I change my vote from ii to vi. "select > top X" is consistent with SQL and intuitive. > > Thanks! > -MT > > On Feb 6, 11:56 am, Patrick Earl <[email protected]> wrote: >> K, I'm going to throw a wrench in the works and add a couple options. >> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Select_(SQL)#FETCH_FIRST_clause >> >> So, to recap: >> >> Option i: SKIPPING x TAKING y SELECT ... FROM ... WHERE ... ORDER BY ... >> Option ii: SKIP x TAKE y SELECT ... FROM ... WHERE ... ORDER BY ... >> Option iii: SELECT ... FROM ... WHERE ... ORDER BY ... SKIP x TAKE y >> Option iv: SELECT ... FROM ... WHERE ... ORDER BY ... SKIPPING x TAKING y >> Option v: SELECT FIRST x SKIP y ... FROM ... WHERE ... ORDER BY ... >> Option vi: SELECT TOP x SKIP y ... FROM ... WHERE ... ORDER BY ... >> >> Patrick Earl
