Okuzeka
Software Engineering vocabulary · Databases and Persistence

Aggregate function

Meaning in software engineering, with examples

/ˈæɡrɪɡət ˈfʌŋkʃən/nounCore term

In software engineering, aggregate function means: A SQL function that takes many rows and returns a single value from them, such as COUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN or MAX.

In Turkish: toplama fonksiyonu, küme fonksiyonu, aggregate fonksiyon

How it is used

Used for reports and dashboards, usually with GROUP BY. Analysts talk about 'aggregating data' and 'aggregates'. Remember that most aggregate functions ignore NULL values, and that COUNT(*) counts rows while COUNT(column) counts only non-NULL values.

Example sentences

  1. Use an aggregate function like SUM to get the total sales per store.

  2. You can't use an aggregate function in the WHERE clause; filter it with HAVING.

Common collocations

  • use an aggregate function
  • aggregate query
  • aggregate data
  • COUNT(*)
  • GROUP BYThe SQL clause that puts rows with the same values into groups so that a total, count or average can be calculated for each group.
  • HAVING clauseThe part of a SQL query that filters groups after GROUP BY has run, usually using the result of an aggregate function such as COUNT or SUM.
  • window functionA SQL function that calculates a value across a set of related rows, such as a running total or a rank, while still returning every individual row.
  • NULLA special marker meaning that a value is missing or unknown. It is not the same as zero or an empty string.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Databases and Persistence

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: