GREATEST
Returns the largest of the given values.
MySQL 8.1
GREATEST(value, value[, ...])Parameters
- value
- Value to compare: number, string or date
Return value
The largest value; NULL if any argument is NULL
Examples
Largest of three numbers
MySQL 8.1
SELECT GREATEST(1, 2, -1);Largest of three strings
MySQL 8.1
SELECT GREATEST('apple', 'banana', 'cherry');Comparison with NULL
MySQL 8.1
SELECT GREATEST(1, NULL, 3);Details
Unlike the aggregate function MAX, which finds the maximum across table rows, GREATEST compares several values within one row. If the arguments mix numbers and strings, they are compared as strings: GREATEST(2, '10') returns '2'.