Difference Between WHERE and HAVING Clause

Are you aware of the difference between WHERE and HAVING clause in SQL? Are you aware of when to use the WHERE clause and when to use the HAVING clause? If not, then don’t worry. You are at the right place. This article will explore the difference between WHERE and HAVING clause in great detail.

The main difference between WHERE and HAVING clause is that the WHERE clause allows you to filter data from specific rows (individual rows) from a table based on certain conditions. In contrast, the HAVING clause allows you to filter data from a group of rows in a query based on conditions involving aggregate values.

Before diving deeper into the difference between WHERE and HAVING clause, let’s quickly go over the topics listed under the table of contents (TOC) we will cover in this article.

Table of Contents (TOC)

• Difference Between WHERE and HAVING Clause
• What is the WHERE Clause in SQL?
• What is the HAVING Clause in SQL?
• Key Differences Between WHERE and HAVING Clause

Difference Between WHERE and HAVING Clause 

For a better understanding, let’s explore the difference between Where and Having clause in a tabular format:

Benchmark	WHERE Clause	HAVING Clause
Filters data from	From the table based on the specified condition.	From the groups based on the specified condition.
Row Function	This clause is used with a single row function.	This clause is used with a multiple-row function.
Can this clause be used without the GROUP BY clause?	Yes.	No.
The clause implements	In row operation.	In column operations.
Can it contain an aggregate function?	No.	Yes.
It can be used with	SELECT, UPDATE, and DELETE statement.	Only with SELECT statement.
Applied	Before Group By clause	After Group By clause

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What is the WHERE Clause in SQL?

Definition: The WHERE clause in SQL allows you to filter data from specific rows (individual rows) from a table based on certain conditions.

The WHERE clause allows you to specify the criteria a row must meet to be included in the result set of a SELECT, UPDATE, or DELETE statement. The WHERE clause specifies one or more conditions that must be met for a row to be considered a match. This clause also allows you to limit the data retrieved from a database.

You can also explore: How to Create, Update, Insert and Delete SQL Views?

In simple terms, the

clause allows you to pick out specific rows from a table based on certain conditions.

For more information, you can also explore: How to use the WHERE clause in SQL

What is the HAVING Clause in SQL?

Definition: The HAVING clause in SQL allows you to filter data from a group of rows in a query based on conditions involving aggregate values.

The HAVING clause operates similarly to the WHERE clause, but instead of filtering individual rows, it filters groups of rows created by aggregating columns. The HAVING clause allows you to specify conditions on the results of aggregate functions (such as SUM, AVG, COUNT, etc.) computed over a set of rows. Thus, limiting the result set of a query based on these computed values.

In simple terms, the

clause allows you to filter groups of rows in a query based on conditions involving aggregate values.

For more information you can also explore: How to use HAVING clause in SQL

Key Differences Between WHERE and HAVING Clause 

Here are the key differences between WHERE and HAVING clause in SQL:

• The WHERE clause implements in row operations, whereas the HAVING clause implements in column operations.
• The HAVING clause can contain an aggregate function, but the WHERE clause cannot contain an aggregate function.
• You can use the WHERE clause with a single row function. Whereas the HAVING clause is used with a multiple row function.
• The HAVING clause is applied after the GROUP BY clause, but the WHERE clause is applied before the GROUP BY clause.
• You can use the WHERE clause without the GROUP BY clause, But you cannot use the HAVING clause without the GROUP BY clause.
• You can use the WHERE clause with the SELECT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. Whereas you can use the HAVING clause only with the SELECT statement.
• The WHERE clause in SQL allows you to filter data from specific rows (individual rows) from a table based on certain conditions. In contrast, the HAVING clause in SQL allows you to filter data from a group of rows in a query based on conditions involving aggregate values.

You can also explore: How to use ORDER BY Clause in SQL

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed what WHERE and HAVING clauses are. We have also explored the difference between WHERE and Having clause in great detail. If you have any queries related to the topic, please feel free to send your query to us in the form of a comment. We will be happy to help.

Happy Learning!!