Select recent n number of entries of all users from table - mysql

Question

I have a below table and wants to select only last 2 entries of all users.
Source table:
-------------------------------------
UserId | QuizId(AID)|quizendtime(AID)|
--------------------------------------
1 10 2016-5-12
2 10 2016-5-12
1 11 2016-6-12
2 12 2016-8-12
3 12 2016-8-12
2 13 2016-8-12
1 14 2016-9-12
3 14 2016-9-12
3 11 2016-6-12
Expected output is like, (should list only recent 2 quizid entries for all users)
-------------------------------------
UserId | QuizId(AID)|quizendtime(AID)|
--------------------------------------
1 14 2016-9-12
1 11 2016-6-12
2 13 2016-8-12
2 12 2016-8-12
3 14 2016-9-12
3 12 2016-8-12
Any idea's to produce this output.

Answer 1

Using MySQL user defined variables you can accomplish this:
SELECT
t.UserId,
t.`QuizId(AID)`,
t.`quizendtime(AID)`
FROM
(
SELECT
*,
IF(#sameUser = UserId, #a := #a + 1 , #a := 1) row_number,
#sameUser := UserId
FROM your_table
CROSS JOIN (SELECT #a := 1, #sameUser := 0) var
ORDER BY UserId , `quizendtime(AID)` DESC
) AS t
WHERE t.row_number <= 2
Working Demo
Note: If you want at most x number of entries for each user then change the condition in where clause like below:
WHERE t.row_number <= x
Explanation:
SELECT
*,
IF(#sameUser = UserId, #a := #a + 1 , #a := 1) row_number,
#sameUser := UserId
FROM your_table
CROSS JOIN (SELECT #a := 1, #sameUser := 0) var
ORDER BY UserId , `quizendtime(AID)` DESC;
This query sorts all the data in ascending order of userId and descending order of quizendtime(AID).
Now take a walk on this (multi) sorted data.
Every time you see a new userId assign a row_number (1). If you see the same user again then just increase the row_number.
Finally filtering only those records which are having row_number <= 2 ensures the at most two latest entries for each user.
EDIT: As Gordon pointed out that the evaluation of expressions using user defined variables in mysql is not guaranteed to follow the same order always so based on that the above query is slightly modified:
SELECT
t.UserId,
t.`QuizId(AID)`,
t.`quizendtime(AID)`
FROM
(
SELECT
*,
IF (
#sameUser = UserId,
#a := #a + 1,
IF(#sameUser := UserId, #a := 1, #a:= 1)
)AS row_number
FROM your_table
CROSS JOIN (SELECT #a := 1, #sameUser := 0) var
ORDER BY UserId , `quizendtime(AID)` DESC
) AS t
WHERE t.row_number <= 2;
WORKING DEMO V2

Answer 2

User-defined variables are the key to the solution. But, it is very important to have all the variable assignments in a single expression. MySQL does not guarantee the order of evaluation of expressions in a select -- and, in fact, sometimes processes them in different orders.
select t.*
from (select t.*,
(#rn := if(#u = UserId, #rn + 1,
if(#u := UserId, 1, 1)
)
) as rn
from t cross join
(select #u := -1, #rn := 0) params
order by UserId, quizendtime desc
) t
where rn <= 2;