Question

My database looks like this:

Book,Chapter,Verse,Scripture
"1","1","1","1text1"
"1","1","2","1text2"
"1","1","3","1text3"
"1","1","4","1text4"
"1","2","1","2text1"
"1","2","2","2text2"
"1","2","3","2text3"

I want to select all the rows from 1,1,1 to 1,2,3.

However my current query will not return row 1,1,4 because 4 is greater than 3.

SELECT * FROM my_table WHERE 
Book >= 1 AND Book <= 1 AND 
Chapter >= 1 AND Chapter <= 2 AND
Verse >= 1 AND Verse <= 3

Answer 1

MySQL also supports row constructors. If you wanted (e.g.) 1 1:3 through 1 2:2, use:

SELECT * FROM bible
    WHERE (1,1,3) <= (book, chapter, verse) AND (book, chapter, verse) <= (1,2,2)

For 58 1:3 to 62 4:2,

SELECT * FROM bible
    WHERE (58,1,3) <= (book, chapter, verse) AND (book, chapter, verse) <= (62,4,2)

58 1:4 will be included, as will 59 1:1 and 60 10:10, but not 62 5:1.

I can’t find much documentation, but MySQL follows the behavior set down for row comparisons since SQL-92 (note: the link is to a draft version), specifically Section 8.2 “General Rules” 7):

Let R^x and R^y be the two row value constructors of the comparison predicate and let R^x_i and R^y_i be the i-th row value constructor elements of R^x and R^y, respectively. “R^x [comp op] R^y” is true, false, or unknown as follows:
[…]
c) “R^x < R^y” is true if and only if R^x_i = R^y_i for all i < n and R^x_n < R^y_n for some n.

d) “R^x > R^y” is true if and only if R^x_i = R^y_i for all i < n and R^x_n > R^y_n for some n.

e) “R^x <= R^y” is true if and only if R^x = R^y or R^x < R^y.

f) “R^x >= R^y” is true if and only if R^x = R^y or R^x > R^y.

Row comparisons are covered in section 9.2 Joe Celko’s SQL For Smarties (link is to 3rd Ed., but the same topic existed in earlier editions).