Question

This query is supposed to run with ms access 2003 using SQL. the function JOIN is NOT supported explicitly. implicitly in the WHERE clause is fine…implicity anywhere is fine as long as the word JOIN INNER JOIN Etc is not used.

     DayNumnber   PastTime
               .
               .
               .

       333           Homework
       333           TV
       334           Date
       620           Chores
       620           Date
       620           Homework
       725           Chores
       725           Date
       888           Internet
       888           TV
                  .
                  .
                  .

Hey I would like a query that can Show the most important past time done for each day (TV and internet do not count!) .So importance would be Homework > Chores > Date.So:

       DayNumber     PastTime
         333           Homework
         334           Date
         620           Homework
         725           Chores

Something that might change this problem. Altho all the different past times are listen in a table together. but that was because i appended the table. originally the homework entries. chore entries and date entriess . internet entriess. tv entries. came from different tables.

 eg     homework 333
        homework 620

Is it easier to do it without appending these tables first? I would hopefully like it to be done with the appended table but ya

I was thinking of a mixture of insert. delete… but the hardest part is checking that there is something there for a date a few things and how to put the more important thing done that day . Thank you

Answer 1

Create another table with:

Pri | PastTime
--------------
  1 | Homework
  2 | Chores
  3 | Date

This is a priority list for the items.

Next do:

  SELECT MIN(Pri), DayNumber
    FROM PastTime_table, Priority_table
   WHERE PastTime_table.PastTime = Priority_table.PastTime
GROUP BY DayNumber

This will give you the most important past time for each day. And because TV and Internet are not listed they will not show up.

But it will give you a number, and not the name.

If you had a better SQL you could then join this back to the Priority_table and lookup the name. But I guess you will have to do that part manually.

If you are willing to change the name and call them:

A_Homework
B_Chores
C_Date

instead then you could do (without any extra table):

  SELECT MIN(PastTime), DayNumber
    FROM PastTime_table
GROUP BY DayNumber

Since it sorts the name alphabetically it will always give you the best one.

You can add a WHERE to remove TV and Internet.