Unlocking the Mystery: What Does "SELECT COUNT(1) FROM table_name" Mean in SQL?

• SELECT: This keyword introduces the statement as a query that retrieves data from the database.
• COUNT(1): This part counts the number of rows.
  • COUNT: This function is used for counting rows in a table.

In simpler terms, this query instructs the database to:

1. Select: Retrieve data from the table.
2. Count: Instead of retrieving specific columns, count the number of rows in the table.
3. From: Specify the table from which to count the rows (table_name).

Example:

SELECT COUNT(1) FROM customers;

This query would count the number of rows in the table named customers and return a single result showing the total number of customers.

Why use COUNT(1) instead of COUNT(*)?