How can I programmatically retrieve a SQL query execution plan and analyze its results?
How can I programmatically retrieve a SQL query execution plan and analyze its results?
Comments
You can retrieve and analyze SQL query execution plans programmatically and through interactive commands using InterSystems tools. Here are the approaches available:
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EXPLAIN Command:
Use theEXPLAINcommand in SQL to display the query execution plan for aSELECTquery without actually executing the query. Example:SQL]USER>>EXPLAIN SELECT Name FROM Sample.MyTable WHERE Name='Fred Rogers'This command also allows for generating performance statistics with
EXPLAIN STATor alternate query plans withEXPLAIN ALT[1][2]. -
SHOW PLAN Command:
After executing your query, use theSHOW PLANcommand in the SQL Shell to display its plan. Alternatively, you can set the execution mode to deferred to view the plan without running the query:SQL]USER>>SELECT Name FROM Sample.MyTable WHERE Name='Fred Rogers' SQL]USER>>SHOW PLANSHOW PLAN works for other statement types, including
INSERT,UPDATE, andDELETEoperations [1][2]. -
SHOW PLANALT:
The commandSHOW PLANALTcan display alternate execution plans for your query. This is useful for comparing different strategies proposed by the SQL optimizer [2]. -
ObjectScript Method ($SYSTEM.SQL.Explain):
Generate query execution plans programmatically using ObjectScript and the$SYSTEM.SQL.Explain()method. This can be integrated into your application workflows for automated analysis purposes [1][2].
These tools provide comprehensive ways to programmatically retrieve and analyze SQL query plans alongside their associated performance metrics, suppressing the need for SQL execution when desired and offering functionalities for debugging and optimization.
Sources:
Explain command is what you are looking for:
https://docs.intersystems.com/irislatest/csp/docbook/DocBook.UI.Page.cl…
I did few attempts in Terminal like (having required SQL privileges):
HSACCESS 2e1>EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM Ens.MessageHeader
EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM Ens.MessageHeader^
<SYNTAX>^%SYSTEM.SQL.1
Am I missing something? Thank you
From your output it's not clear if you're in the SQL Shell. You need to be in the Shell to execute the EXPLAIN command
you can quickly access the SQL shell witj
USER>:SQL SQL Command Line Shell ---------------------------------------------------- The command prefix is currently set to: <<nothing>>. Enter <command>, 'q' to quit, '?' for help.
Thank you