MAX Function [Aggregate]

Returns the maximum expression value found in each group of rows.

Syntax

MAXexpression
| DISTINCT column-name )

Parameters

Parameter

Description

expression

The expression for which the maximum value is to be calculated. This is commonly a column name.

DISTINCT column-name

Returns the same as MAX ( expression ), and is included for completeness.

Returns

The same data type as the argument.

Remarks

Rows where expression is NULL are ignored. Returns NULL for a group containing no rows.

Standards and Compatibility

  • SQL—ISO/ANSI SQL compliant.

  • Sybase—Compatible with Adaptive Server Enterprise.

Example

The following statement returns the value 138948.000, representing the maximum salary in the Employees table:

SELECT MAX ( Salary )
FROM Employees
Related concepts
Windowing Aggregate Function Usage
Related reference
MIN Function [Aggregate]