Question

The full error I get is:

Msg 512, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
Subquery returned more than 1 value. This is not permitted when the subquery follows =, !=, <, <= , >, >= or when the subquery is used as an expression.

I was passed by this SQL code that used to work in the past and I need to fix it, but I get the error above, but even if I comment out some parts the error stays the same

Here is the sql code:

SELECT  
    OrderId = OrdNameAdd.ORDERS_ID,
    LTRIM(ISNULL(OrdNameAdd.OBY_FirstName, '') + ' ' + ISNULL(OrdNameAdd.OBY_LASTNAME, '')) AS OrderedByName,
    ObyVar1 = (SELECT varfld_value FROM MAILERVBL WHERE OBYMAILER = MAILERVBL.MAILER_SEQID AND VARDEF_SEQUENCE = 1),
    ObyVar2 = (SELECT varfld_value FROM MAILERVBL WHERE OBYMAILER = MAILERVBL.MAILER_SEQID AND VARDEF_SEQUENCE = 2),
    ObyVar3 = (SELECT varfld_value FROM MAILERVBL WHERE OBYMAILER = MAILERVBL.MAILER_SEQID AND VARDEF_SEQUENCE = 3),
    ExtendedDefaultValue = (SELECT sum(isnull(p.prduct_value,0) *  (isnull(pickdt.prdord_toshipqty,1))) 
                            FROM PICKDT 
                            LEFT OUTER JOIN 
                               locVerBals ON PICKDT.PRVERS_SEQID = locVerBals.PRVERS_Seqid 
                            LEFT OUTER JOIN 
                               LOCPRDSUM p ON locVerBals.PRDUCT_Seqid = p.PRDUCT_SEQID 
                                           AND p.system_id = PICPAK.SYSTEM_ID 
                            WHERE
                               PICKDT.PICPAK_Seqid = PICPAK.PICPAK_Seqid 
                               AND p.PRDUCT_INACTIVEDATE IS NULL), 
    FulfCharges = (rpt_BD.Linesshipped * ACCDEF_ChargePerLine) + ACCDEF_ChargePerShipment, 
    PubFreight = (rpt_BD.PubFreight), 
    TotalValue = 
        (SELECT 
            sum(isnull(p.prduct_value, 0) * (isnull(pickdt.prdord_toshipqty, 1))) 
         from PICKDT 
         LEFT OUTER JOIN locVerBals ON PICKDT.PRVERS_SEQID = locVerBals.PRVERS_Seqid 
         LEFT OUTER JOIN LOCPRDSUM p ON locVerBals.PRDUCT_Seqid = p.PRDUCT_SEQID 
                                     AND p.system_id = PICPAK.SYSTEM_ID 
         WHERE 
             PICKDT.PICPAK_Seqid = PICPAK.PICPAK_Seqid AND p.PRDUCT_INACTIVEDATE IS NULL) 
         + isnull((rpt_BD.Linesshipped * ACCDEF_ChargePerLine), 0) 
         + isnull(ACCDEF_ChargePerShipment,0) + isnull((rpt_BD.PubFreight), 0)
FROM 
    PICPAK 
LEFT OUTER JOIN 
    ORDSTO ON PICPAK.ORDSTO_Seqid = ORDSTO.ORDSTO_Seqid 
LEFT OUTER JOIN 
    OrdNameAdd ON ORDSTO.ORDERS_Seqid = OrdNameAdd.ORDERS_SEQID 
LEFT OUTER JOIN 
    Rpt_BillingDetail rpt_BD ON PICPAK.PICPAK_Seqid = rpt_BD.PICPAK_Seqid 

---------------hERE
WHERE 
    (convert(datetime, DateShipped, 1) >= '4/17/2012' 
     AND convert(datetime, DateShipped, 1) <= '12/17/2012')
---------------HERE

    AND (PICPAK.PICPAK_Status = 'Complete' OR PICPAK.PICPAK_Status = 'Shipped' 
         OR picpak_Status = 'Voided') 
    /*AND (p.PRDUCT_INACTIVEDATE IS NULL)*/
    AND ISNULL(PICPAK.SUPPLR_SEQID,0) = 0
GROUP BY
    OrdNameAdd.ORDERS_ID,
    OrdNameAdd.OBY_FirstName,
    OrdNameAdd.OBY_LASTNAME,
    OrdNameAdd.obymailer,
    PICPAK.PICPAK_Seqid,
    PICPAK.System_Id,
    rpt_BD.PubFreight,
    ACCDEF_ChargePerLine,
    ACCDEF_ChargePerShipment,
    rpt_BD.Linesshipped,
    rpt_BD.Numpackages,
    ordsto.orders_seqid
ORDER BY
    ordsto.orders_seqid ASC

Answer 1

In your query, you have five subqueries for ObyVar1, ObyVar2, ObyVar3, ExtendedDefaultValue, and TotalValue.

The two value subqueries are using aggregations with no group by, so they should be returning one value.

Your problemis in the three ObyVars.

There are simple two ways to get rid of this:

1. Aggregate the values. So do max(varfld_value).
2. Choose one value. In SQL Server, this would be a top 1 (in other databases, it might be rownum = 1 or limit 1).

However, overall, I find select statements within select statements to be undesirable. I would replace those three variables with a subquery in the from clause:

(select mailer_seqid,
        max(case when vardef_sequence = 1 then varfld_value end) as vv_1, 
        max(case when vardef_sequence = 2 then varfld_value end) as vv_2,
        max(case when vardef_sequence = 3 then varfld_value end) as vv_3
 from mailervbl
 group by mailer_seqid
)

In most cases, this should be as or more efficient than the three subqueries.