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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-06-11T13:59:22+00:00

Is there any way to have a subquery return multiple columns in oracle db?

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Is there any way to have a subquery return multiple columns in oracle db? (I know this specific sql will result in an error, but it sums up what I want pretty well)

select
    a.x,
    ( select b.y, b.z from b where b.v = a.v),
from a

I want a result like this:

a.x | b.y | b.z
---------------
1   | 2   | 3

I know it is possible to solve this problem through joins, but that is not what I am asking for.

My Question is simply if there is any way, to get two or more values out of a subquery? Maybe some workaround using dual? So that there is NO actual join, but a new subquery for each row?

EDIT: This is a principle question. You can solve all these problems using join, I know. You do not need subqueries like this at all (not even for one column). But they are there. So can I use them in that way or is it simply impossible?

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    A Subquery in the Select clause, as in your case, is also known as a Scalar Subquery, which means that it’s a form of expression. Meaning that it can only return one value.

    I’m afraid you can’t return multiple columns from a single Scalar Subquery, no.

    Here’s more about Oracle Scalar Subqueries:

    http://docs.oracle.com/cd/B19306_01/server.102/b14200/expressions010.htm#i1033549

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