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Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 14:47:48 +0100
From: Christoph Haller <ch@rodos.fzk.de>
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To: pgsql-sql@postgresql.org
Cc: datactrl@tpg.com.au
Subject: Re: the best way to get some records not in another table
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>
> Try to get some records not in another table. As the following, please

> advise which one will be the best way to do. Or is there any other way
to do
> better?
>
> SELECT DISTINCT a.c1
> FROM test_j2 a
> WHERE a.c1 NOT IN (SELECT DISTINCT b.c1 FROM test_j1 b);
>
> SELECT a.c1 FROM test_j2 a
> EXCEPT
> SELECT b.c1 FROM test_j1 b;
>
IN resp. NOT IN clauses are known to be slow.

SELECT DISTINCT a.c1
FROM test_j2 a
WHERE NOT EXISTS
(SELECT b.c1 FROM test_j1 b WHERE b.c1 = a.c1) ;

Can't tell if EXISTS performs better than EXCEPT,
have a look at the EXPLAIN output.

Regards, Christoph