Limiting number of results in a Partition using OVER(PARTITION BY)

In the following query, why is it that we have to limit the results returned from each Partition by using the clause WHERE foo.row_num < 3 outside of the subquery foo but not from within the subquery with WHERE row_num < 3?

Query

SELECT pid, land_type, row_num, road_name, round(CAST(dist_km AS numeric), 2) AS dist_km

FROM (
    SELECT ROW_NUMBER() 
    OVER (
        PARTITION by loc.pid
        ORDER BY ST_Distance(r.the_geom, loc.the_geom)
    ) as row_num,
    loc.pid, loc.land_type, r.road_name, 
    ST_Distance(r.the_geom, loc.the_geom)/1000 as dist_km
    FROM ch05.land AS loc
    LEFT JOIN ch05.road AS r
    ON ST_DWithin(r.the_geom, loc.the_geom, 1000)
    WHERE loc.land_type = 'police station'
) AS foo

WHERE foo.row_num < 3
ORDER BY pid, row_num;

Query that does not work

SELECT pid, land_type, row_num, road_name, round(CAST(dist_km AS numeric), 2) AS dist_km

FROM (
    SELECT ROW_NUMBER() 
    OVER (
        PARTITION by loc.pid
        ORDER BY ST_Distance(r.the_geom, loc.the_geom)
    ) as row_num,
    loc.pid, loc.land_type, r.road_name, 
    ST_Distance(r.the_geom, loc.the_geom)/1000 as dist_km
    FROM ch05.land AS loc
    LEFT JOIN ch05.road AS r
    ON ST_DWithin(r.the_geom, loc.the_geom, 1000)
    WHERE loc.land_type = 'police station'
    AND row_num < 3
) AS foo

ORDER BY pid, row_num;

Error: ERROR: column "row_num" does not exist

The column "row_num" doesn't exist because the logical order of processing requires the dbms to apply the WHERE clause before it evaluates the SELECT clause. The windowing function is part of the SELECT clause, so its alias isn't accessible in the same statement's WHERE clause.

The FROM clause is the very first part of the statement to be evaluated. That's why the aliases you declare in the FROM clause are accessible in the WHERE clause of the same statement.

Search this page for "logical processing order". Although this links to SQL Server documentation, the logical order of processing is the same for every dbms that complies with SQL standards.

StackExchange Database Administrators Q#38959, answer score: 4