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rank

Ranks the current row within its partition with gaps. In other words, if the value of any row it encounters is equal to the value of a previous row then it will receive the same rank as that previous row. The rank of the next row is then equal to the rank of the previous row plus a gap equal to the number of times the previous rank was given.

The dense_rank function provides the same behaviour but without gaps in ranking.

Syntax

rank (column_name)
  OVER ([[PARTITION BY grouping_column] [ORDER BY sorting_column] 
        [ROWS or RANGE expression_to_bound_rows_withing_the_group]] | [window_name])
FROM table_name
WINDOW window_name as ([[PARTITION BY grouping_column] [ORDER BY sorting_column])

For more detail on window function syntax see: Window Functions - Syntax.

Returned value

  • A number for the current row within its partition, including gaps. UInt64.

Example

The following example is based on the example provided in the video instructional Ranking window functions in ClickHouse.

Query:

CREATE TABLE salaries
(
    `team` String,
    `player` String,
    `salary` UInt32,
    `position` String
)
Engine = Memory;

INSERT INTO salaries FORMAT Values
    ('Port Elizabeth Barbarians', 'Gary Chen', 195000, 'F'),
    ('New Coreystad Archdukes', 'Charles Juarez', 190000, 'F'),
    ('Port Elizabeth Barbarians', 'Michael Stanley', 150000, 'D'),
    ('New Coreystad Archdukes', 'Scott Harrison', 150000, 'D'),
    ('Port Elizabeth Barbarians', 'Robert George', 195000, 'M'),
    ('South Hampton Seagulls', 'Douglas Benson', 150000, 'M'),
    ('South Hampton Seagulls', 'James Henderson', 140000, 'M');
SELECT player, salary, 
       rank() OVER (ORDER BY salary DESC) AS rank
FROM salaries;

Result:

   ┌─player──────────┬─salary─┬─rank─┐
1. │ Gary Chen       │ 195000 │    1 │
2. │ Robert George   │ 195000 │    1 │
3. │ Charles Juarez  │ 190000 │    3 │
4. │ Douglas Benson  │ 150000 │    4 │
5. │ Michael Stanley │ 150000 │    4 │
6. │ Scott Harrison  │ 150000 │    4 │
7. │ James Henderson │ 140000 │    7 │
   └─────────────────┴────────┴──────┘