How do I get a list of numbers in MySQL? - mysql

Question

I've got a database of movies, and I'd like a list of years where I don't have a movie for that year. So all I need is a list (1900 .. 2012) and then I can JOIN and IN and NOT IN on that all I want.
I've got:
CREATE PROCEDURE build_years(p1 SMALLINT)
BEGIN
CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE year (year SMALLINT(5) UNSIGNED);
label1: LOOP
INSERT INTO year VALUES (p1);
SET p1 = p1 + 1;
IF p1 > 2012 THEN LEAVE label1; END IF;
END LOOP;
END
But that seems so unSQL and only marginally less kludgy then running Python code to create the same table. I'd really like something that didn't use a stored procedure, didn't use looping and didn't use an actual table, in that order of concern.

Answer 1

This should work until you need more than 195 years , at which point you'll need to add a UNION ALL:
SELECT Year
FROM ( SELECT #i:= #i + 1 AS YEAR
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLLATION_CHARACTER_SET_APPLICABILITY,
( SELECT #i:= 1899) AS i
) As Y
WHERE Year BETWEEN 1900 AND 2012
ORDER BY Year;
Although I am assuming that the COLLATION_CHARACTER_SET_APPLICABILITY System table has a default size of 195 based on my trusty testing ground SQL Fiddle

Answer 2

I had similar problem a few years ago. My solution was:
1. Sequence table
I created a table filled with integer sequence from 0 to < as much as it will be required >:
CREATE TABLE numbers (n INT);
INSERT INTO numbers VALUES (0),(1),(2),(3),(4);
INSERT INTO numbers SELECT n+5 FROM numbers;
INSERT INTO numbers SELECT n+10 FROM numbers;
INSERT INTO numbers SELECT n+20 FROM numbers;
INSERT INTO numbers SELECT n+40 FROM numbers;
etc.
It is executed only once, so can be created from outside of your app, even by hand.
2. Select data of a needed type and range
For integers it is obvious - i.e. range 1..99:
SELECT n FROM numbers WHERE n BETWEEN 1 AND 99;
Dates - 2h intervals from now to +2 days:
SELECT date_add(now(),INTERVAL 2*n HOUR) FROM numbers WHERE n BETWEEN 0 AND 23;
So in your case it could be:
SELECT n+1900 AS n_year FROM numbers WHERE n BETWEEN 0 AND 112;
Then JOIN it on n_year.

Answer 3

This will return a list of 2012 to 1900 if you really want to keep it to a query..
SELECT
TO_CHAR (ADD_MONTHS (TRUNC (SYSDATE, 'YYYY'), ((rno - 1) * -12)), 'YYYY') AS "years"
FROM
(
SELECT
LEVEL rno
FROM DUAL
CONNECT BY LEVEL <=
(SELECT TO_CHAR (TRUNC (SYSDATE, 'YYYY'), 'YYYY')
- 1899
yearstobuild
FROM DUAL))

Answer 4

The only solution I can think of according to your wishes sucks also ...
SELECT years.year FROM
(
SELECT 1900 AS year
UNION SELECT 1901
...
UNION SELECT 2012
) AS years
LEFT OUTER JOIN yourmovietable USING (year)
WHERE yourmovietable.year IS NULL;

Answer 5

Using this generic query is faster:
INSERT INTO numbers SELECT n+(SELECT COUNT(*) FROM numbers) FROM numbers;
Each query execution duplicates:
INSERT INTO numbers VALUES (0),(1),(2),(3),(4);
INSERT INTO numbers SELECT n+(SELECT COUNT(*) FROM numbers) FROM numbers;
INSERT INTO numbers SELECT n+(SELECT COUNT(*) FROM numbers) FROM numbers;
INSERT INTO numbers SELECT n+(SELECT COUNT(*) FROM numbers) FROM numbers;
...

Answer 6

select year into temporary table blaa from (generate_series(1900,2000)) where year not in(select distinct(year) from films)
dont know if this will work but you get the drift.