Postgresql Unnest() with Element Number

Question

When I have a column with separated values, I can use the unnest() function:

myTable
id | elements
---+------------
1  |ab,cd,efg,hi
2  |jk,lm,no,pq
3  |rstuv,wxyz

select id, unnest(string_to_array(elements, ',')) AS elem
from myTable

id | elem
---+-----
1  | ab
1  | cd
1  | efg
1  | hi
2  | jk
...

How can I include element numbers? I.e.:

id | elem | nr
---+------+---
1  | ab   | 1
1  | cd   | 2
1  | efg  | 3
1  | hi   | 4
2  | jk   | 1
...

I want the original position of each element in the source string. I've tried with window functions (row_number(), rank() etc.) but I always get 1. Maybe because they are in the same row of the source table?

I know it's a bad table design. It's not mine, I'm just trying to fix it.

Accepted Answer

Must Read

Postgres 9.4 or later

Use WITH ORDINALITY for set-returning functions:

When a function in the FROM clause is suffixed by WITH ORDINALITY, a bigint column is appended to the output which starts from 1 and increments by 1 for each row of the function's output. This is most useful in the case of set returning functions such as unnest().

In combination with the LATERAL feature in pg 9.3+, and according to this thread on pgsql-hackers, the above query can now be written as:

SELECT t.id, a.elem, a.nr
FROM   tbl AS t
LEFT   JOIN LATERAL unnest(string_to_array(t.elements, ','))
                    WITH ORDINALITY AS a(elem, nr) ON TRUE;

LEFT JOIN ... ON TRUE preserves all rows in the left table, even if the table expression to the right returns no rows. If that's of no concern you can use this otherwise equivalent, less verbose form with an implicit CROSS JOIN LATERAL:

SELECT t.id, a.elem, a.nr
FROM   tbl t, unnest(string_to_array(t.elements, ',')) WITH ORDINALITY a(elem, nr);

Or simpler if based off an actual array (arr being an array column):

SELECT t.id, a.elem, a.nr
FROM   tbl t, unnest(t.arr) WITH ORDINALITY a(elem, nr);

Or even, with minimal syntax:

SELECT id, a, ordinality
FROM   tbl, unnest(arr) WITH ORDINALITY a;

a is automatically table and column alias. The default name of the added ordinality column is ordinality. But it's better (safer, cleaner) to add explicit column aliases and table-qualify columns.

Postgresql Unnest() with Element Number

6 Answers

Must Read

Postgres 9.4 or later

Alexander Ross