Limit number of records queried

[Mich]

I have a query to run against a db with millions and millions of entries. I'd like to test the query before running it against the entire db.
Is there a way to run the query against only the first 1000 entries? 5000 entries? X entries?

In other words, if my query is 'select * from header', can I reword it to 'select * from header obs = 1000' or something like that?

Please help this SQL newbie...thanks

 

[swampBoogie]

Most DBMS have this type of feature but they use different syntax. Which DBMS are you using?

 

[Mich]

SQL 6.5

 

[swampBoogie]

You can use

set rowcount 500

 

[Mich]

Doesn't this query the full database and return only the first 500 rows? If so, I need a statement that will only query the first X rows and return the results off of that.

Thanks,
Mick

 

[swampBoogie]

No. The processing of the query will stop when 500 rows have been found.

 

[MarcLodge]

Mick,
Are you saying that you want a query that examines the 1st 500 rows and returns however many rows that match the selection criteria
or
a query that examines however many rows it is necessary to return 500 rows in the output?

 

[rwheels]

select top 500 *
from your_table


"order by" will deterimine which 500 will be returned.