Part 56: Advanced Grouping: GROUPING SETS for Flexible Reporting

Part 56 Technology Updated September 12, 2026

Part 56: Advanced Grouping: GROUPING SETS for Flexible Reporting

Instead of running 3 separate queries combined with UNION ALL, GROUPING SETS computes multiple aggregations in a single table pass.


1. Syntax

SELECT brand, category, SUM(revenue) AS total_revenue
FROM sales
GROUP BY GROUPING SETS (
  (brand, category), -- Subtotal by brand and category
  (brand),           -- Subtotal by brand
  ()                 -- Grand total
);

Key Takeaways

  • GROUPING SETS eliminates redundant queries and table scans in analytics reporting.

In Part 57, we will explore Advanced Grouping: ROLLUP for Subtotals and Grand Totals!