SubSelect or Joins? Is there a better way to write this mysql query?

Question

I know there is always a better way to do something, but I'm not sure how? What is the best way to optimize this query? Should I use Joins, a separate query, etc.. I know it's not a complex query.. just trying to expand my knowledge.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

SELECT
  community_threads.id AS thread_id,
  community_threads.title AS thread_title,
  community_threads.date AS thread_date,
  community_threads.author_id AS author_id,
  `user`.display_name AS author_name,
  `user`.organization AS author_organization,
  (SELECT date FROM community_replies replies WHERE replies.thread_id = community_threads.id ORDER BY date DESC LIMIT 1) AS reply_date,
  (SELECT   count(id) FROM community_replies replies WHERE replies.thread_id = community_threads.id ORDER BY date DESC LIMIT 1) AS total_replies
FROM
  community_threads
INNER JOIN `user` ON community_threads.author_id = `user`.id
WHERE
  category_id = '1'
ORDER BY
  reply_date DESC
LIMIT 0, 5

Answer 1

This can be improved with a JOIN against a subselect which gets the aggregate COUNT() per thread_id and the aggregate MAX(date) . Instead of evaluating the subselect for each row, the derived tables should be evaluated only once for the entire query and joined against the rest of the rows from community_threads .

SELECT
  community_threads.id AS thread_id,
  community_threads.title AS thread_title,
  community_threads.date AS thread_date,
  community_threads.author_id AS author_id,
  `user`.display_name AS author_name,
  `user`.organization AS author_organization,
  /* From the joined subqueries */
  maxdate.date AS reply_date,
  threadcount.num AS total_replies
FROM
  community_threads
  INNER JOIN `user` ON community_threads.author_id = `user`.id
  /* JOIN against subqueries to return MAX(date) (same as order by date DESC limit 1) and COUNT(*) from replies */
  /* number of replies per thread_id */
  INNER JOIN  (
    SELECT thread_id, COUNT(*) AS num FROM replies GROUP BY thread_id
  ) threadcount ON community_threads.id = threadcount.thread_id
  /* Most recent date per thread_id */
  INNER JOIN (
    SELECT thread_id, MAX(date) AS date FROM replies GROUP BY thread_id
  ) maxdate ON community_threads.id = maxdate.thread_id
WHERE
  category_id = '1'
ORDER BY
  reply_date DESC
LIMIT 0, 5

You may get even better performance if you put the LIMIT 0, 5 inside the reply_date subquery. That will only pull the most recent 5 in the subquery, and the INNER JOIN will discard all from community_threads not matching.

/* I *think* this will work...*/
SELECT
  community_threads.id AS thread_id,
  community_threads.title AS thread_title,
  community_threads.date AS thread_date,
  community_threads.author_id AS author_id,
  `user`.display_name AS author_name,
  `user`.organization AS author_organization,
  /* From the joined subqueries */
  maxdate.date AS reply_date,
  threadcount.num AS total_replies
FROM
  community_threads
  INNER JOIN `user` ON community_threads.author_id = `user`.id
  INNER JOIN  (
    SELECT thread_id, COUNT(*) AS num FROM replies GROUP BY thread_id
  ) threadcount ON community_threads.id = threadcount.thread_id
  /* LIMIT in this subquery */
  INNER JOIN (
    SELECT thread_id, MAX(date) AS date FROM replies GROUP BY thread_id ORDER BY date DESC LIMIT 0, 5
  ) maxdate ON community_threads.id = maxdate.thread_id
WHERE
  category_id = '1'
ORDER BY
  reply_date DESC

Answer 2

Far as I can tell, this looks like a good opportunity for a group by.

SELECT 
    community_threads.id AS thread_id,
    community_threads.title AS thread_title,
    community_threads.date AS thread_date,
    community_threads.author_id AS author_id,
    `user`.display_name AS author_name,
    `user`.organization AS author_organization,
    MAX(replies.date) AS reply_date,
    COUNT(replies.id) AS total_replies
FROM community_threads
INNER JOIN `user` ON community_threads.author_id = `user`.id
INNER JOIN community_replies AS replies ON replies.thread_id = community_threads.id
WHERE category_id = 1
GROUP BY thread_id, thread_title, thread_date, author_id, author_name, author_organization)
ORDER BY reply_date DESC
LIMIT 0, 5

Hope this helps.