MIN Function - ( SQL Server Aggregate Function )

The MIN is an aggregate function in SQL Server that is used to return the minimum value or smallest value from a given set of expression.

Syntax

The syntax of the MIN() function is:

SELECT MIN(expression) FROM table_name WHERE conditions;

Where:

• expression: Specifies the column or expression to evaluate.
• table_name: Specifies the table name to retrieve data from.
• conditions: Specifies the conditions to filter data.

Example

Let's consider the following table named employees:

emp_id	emp_name	emp_salary
1	John	50000
2	Smith	45000
3	David	55000
4	Karen	60000

Now, the following SQL query returns the employee(s) having the minimum salary:

SELECT emp_name, MIN(emp_salary) AS min_salary FROM employees;

The output of this query would be:

emp_name	min_salary
Smith	45000

Explanation

The MIN() function evaluates the specified expression or column for each row of the table and returns the minimum value. If the specified column contains the NULL values, then it returns the NULL value.

It is generally used with the GROUP BY clause to obtain the minimum value for each group.

Use

The MIN() function is useful for finding the lowest or minimum value from a given set of values.

It can be used for various purposes such as finding the lowest/highest scoring student, the oldest person, and so on.

Important Points

• The MIN() function is an aggregate function in SQL Server that returns the minimum value from a given set of values.
• It is often used with the GROUP BY clause to obtain the minimum value for each group.
• If the specified column contains the NULL values, then it returns the NULL value.

Summary

In this article, we discussed the MIN() function, which is an aggregate function in SQL Server used to return the minimum or smallest value from a given set of values. We covered its syntax, example, output, explanation, use, and important points. By using the MIN() function, you can easily retrieve the minimum or smallest value from a column or expression in your SQL Server database table.