MAX (Transact-SQL)
Returns the maximum value in the expression. May be followed by the OVER clause.
Syntax
MAX ( [ ALL | DISTINCT ] expression )
Arguments
ALL
Applies the aggregate function to all values. ALL is the default.DISTINCT
Specifies that each unique value is considered. DISTINCT is not meaningful with MAX and is available for ISO compatibility only.expression
Is a constant, column name, or function, and any combination of arithmetic, bitwise, and string operators. MAX can be used with numeric, character, and datetime columns, but not with bit columns. Aggregate functions and subqueries are not permitted.For more information, see Expressions (Transact-SQL).
Return Types
Returns a value same as expression.
Remarks
MAX ignores any null values.
For character columns, MAX finds the highest value in the collating sequence.
Examples
The following example returns the highest (maximum) tax rate.
USE AdventureWorks2008R2;
GO
SELECT MAX(TaxRate)
FROM Sales.SalesTaxRate;
GO
Here is the result set.
------
19.60
(1 row(s) affected)
Warning, null value eliminated from aggregate.