MySQL: GREATEST Function

This tutorial explains how to use the MySQL GREATEST function with syntax and examples.

Description

The MySQL GREATEST function returns the greatest value in a list of expressions.

Syntax

The syntax for the GREATEST function in MySQL is:

GREATEST( expr1, expr2, ... expr_n )

Parameters or Arguments

expr1, expr2, ... expr_n

The expressions that are evaluated by the GREATEST function.

Applies To

The GREATEST function can be used in the following versions of MySQL:

• MySQL 5.7, MySQL 5.6, MySQL 5.5, MySQL 5.1, MySQL 5.0, MySQL 4.1, MySQL 4.0, MySQL 3.23

Example

Let's look at some MySQL GREATEST function examples and explore how to use the GREATEST function in MySQL.

For example:

mysql> SELECT GREATEST(2, 5, 12, 3);
Output: 12

mysql> SELECT GREATEST('2', '5', '12', '3');
Output: '5'

mysql> SELECT GREATEST('AODBA.com', 'mysite.com', 'bing.com');
Output: 'mysite.com'

mysql> SELECT GREATEST('AODBA.com', 'mysite.com', null);
Output: NULL