elasticsearch/docs/reference/sql/limitations.asciidoc

[role="xpack"]
[testenv="basic"]
[[sql-limitations]]
== SQL Limitations

beta[]

[float]
=== Nested fields in `SYS COLUMNS` and `DESCRIBE TABLE`

{es} has a special type of relationship fields called `nested` fields. In {es-sql} they can be used by referencing their inner
sub-fields. Even though `SYS COLUMNS` and `DESCRIBE TABLE` will still display them as having the type `NESTED`, they cannot
be used in a query. One can only reference its sub-fields in the form:

[source, sql]
--------------------------------------------------
[nested_field_name].[sub_field_name]
--------------------------------------------------

For example:

[source, sql]
--------------------------------------------------
SELECT dep.dep_name.keyword FROM test_emp GROUP BY languages;
--------------------------------------------------

[float]
=== Multi-nested fields

{es-sql} doesn't support multi-nested documents, so a query cannot reference more than one nested field in an index.
This applies to multi-level nested fields, but also multiple nested fields defined on the same level. For example, for this index:

[source, sql]
----------------------------------------------------
       column         |     type      |    mapping
----------------------+---------------+-------------
nested_A              |STRUCT         |NESTED
nested_A.nested_X     |STRUCT         |NESTED
nested_A.nested_X.text|VARCHAR        |KEYWORD
nested_A.text         |VARCHAR        |KEYWORD
nested_B              |STRUCT         |NESTED
nested_B.text         |VARCHAR        |KEYWORD
----------------------------------------------------

`nested_A` and `nested_B` cannot be used at the same time, nor `nested_A`/`nested_B` and `nested_A.nested_X` combination.
For such situations, {es-sql} will display an error message.

[float]
=== Paginating nested inner hits

When SELECTing a nested field, pagination will not work as expected, {es-sql} will return __at least__ the page size records. 
This is because of the way nested queries work in {es}: the root nested field will be returned and it's matching inner nested fields as well,
pagination taking place on the **root nested document and not on its inner hits**.

[float]
=== Normalized `keyword` fields

`keyword` fields in {es} can be normalized by defining a `normalizer`. Such fields are not supported in {es-sql}.

[float]
=== Array type of fields

Array fields are not supported due to the "invisible" way in which {es} handles an array of values: the mapping doesn't indicate whether
a field is an array (has multiple values) or not, so without reading all the data, {es-sql} cannot know whether a field is a single or multi value.

[float]
=== Sorting by aggregation

When doing aggregations (`GROUP BY`) {es-sql} relies on {es}'s `composite` aggregation for its support for paginating results.
However this type of aggregation does come with a limitation: sorting can only be applied on the key used for the aggregation's buckets. 
{es-sql} overcomes this limitation by doing client-side sorting however as a safety measure, allows only up to *512* rows.

It is recommended to use `LIMIT` for queries that use sorting by aggregation, essentially indicating the top N results that are desired:

[source, sql]
--------------------------------------------------
SELECT * FROM test GROUP BY age ORDER BY COUNT(*) LIMIT 100;
--------------------------------------------------

It is possible to run the same queries without a `LIMIT` however in that case if the maximum size (*512*) is passed, an exception will be
returned as {es-sql} is unable to track (and sort) all the results returned.

[float]
=== Using aggregation functions on top of scalar functions

Aggregation functions like <<sql-functions-aggs-min,`MIN`>>, <<sql-functions-aggs-max,`MAX`>>, etc. can only be used
directly on fields, and so queries like `SELECT MAX(abs(age)) FROM test` are not possible.

[float]
=== Using a sub-select

Using sub-selects (`SELECT X FROM (SELECT Y)`) is **supported to a small degree**: any sub-select that can be "flattened" into a single
`SELECT` is possible with {es-sql}. For example:

["source","sql",subs="attributes,macros"]
--------------------------------------------------
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs.csv-spec[limitationSubSelect]
--------------------------------------------------

The query above is possible because it is equivalent with:

["source","sql",subs="attributes,macros"]
--------------------------------------------------
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs.csv-spec[limitationSubSelectRewritten]
--------------------------------------------------

But, if the sub-select would include a `GROUP BY` or `HAVING` or the enclosing `SELECT` would be more complex than `SELECT X
FROM (SELECT ...) WHERE [simple_condition]`, this is currently **un-supported**.

[float]
=== Using <<sql-functions-aggs-first, `FIRST`>>/<<sql-functions-aggs-last,`LAST`>> aggregation functions in `HAVING` clause

Using `FIRST` and `LAST` in the `HAVING` clause is not supported. The same applies to
<<sql-functions-aggs-min,`MIN`>> and <<sql-functions-aggs-max,`MAX`>> when their target column
is of type <<keyword, `keyword`>> as they are internally translated to `FIRST` and `LAST`.