Re: Column as result of subtraction of two other columns?

Jean-Luc Lachance <jllachan@sympatico.ca> writes:
> Mark Cave-Ayland wrote:
>> I'm trying to calculate an output column which is the difference of two
>> other columns in the query output; the first column is an aggregate of
>> items in stock, while the second column is an aggregate of items which
>> have been used.

> You can also do:
> select sum( x), sum( y), sum(x-y) from whatever group by z;

Mark would actually be best off to do this in the straightforward
fashion and not try to be cute about it:

    select sum(x), sum(y), sum(x)-sum(y) from ...

At least since 7.4, the system will notice the duplicate aggregates
and run only two summations to compute the above, followed by a single
subtraction at the end.  The apparently more intelligent way suggested
by Jean will have to run three summations, and thus end up being a net
loss.

The various subselect notations mentioned elsewhere in the thread may
save a bit of typing, if your column calculations are hairy expressions
and not just "sum(foo)", but they probably won't save any runtime.

            regards, tom lane