SQL Server Lead and Lag Functions

Problem

SQL Server 2012 introduces two new analytical functions, LEAD() and LAG(). In this tip we will be exploring these functions and how to use them.

Solution

These functions access data from a subsequent row (lead) and previous row (lag) in the same result set without the use of a self-join.

The syntax for the Lead and Lag functions is:

LAG|LEAD (scalar_expression [,offset] [,default]) 
    OVER ( [ partition_by_clause ] order_by_clause )

Let me explain using this example which creates table Test_table in database TestDB and inserts some data.

CREATE DATABASE [TestDB]
 
--Create testable to hold some data
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Test_table](
 [id] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,
 [Department] [nchar](10) NOT NULL,
 [Code] [int] NOT NULL,
 CONSTRAINT [PK_Test_table] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED 
(
 [id] ASC
)WITH (PAD_INDEX = OFF, STATISTICS_NORECOMPUTE = OFF, IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF, ALLOW_ROW_LOCKS = ON, 
ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS = ON) ON [PRIMARY]
) ON [PRIMARY]
GO
--Insert some test data
insert into Test_table values('A',111)
insert into Test_table values('B',29)
insert into Test_table values('C',258)
insert into Test_table values('D',333)
insert into Test_table values('E',15)
insert into Test_table values('F',449)
insert into Test_table values('G',419)
insert into Test_table values('H',555)
insert into Test_table values('I',524)
insert into Test_table values('J',698)
insert into Test_table values('K',715)
insert into Test_table values('L',799)
insert into Test_table values('M',139)
insert into Test_table values('N',219)
insert into Test_table values('O',869)

Our table data will look like this:

Create Test_table on the databse TestDB

Now the query for lead value and lag value will be:

SELECT id,department,Code,
LEAD(Code,1) OVER (ORDER BY Code ) LeadValue,
LAG(Code,1) OVER (ORDER BY Code ) LagValue
FROM test_table

Now the query for leadvalue and lagvalue will be

In the above example, for the first row the Lead value is the value of the next row because the offset is set to 1. The Lag value is NULL because there were no previous rows.

Now if we change the Lead offset to 2 and Lag offset to 3 the output will be as follows:

If we change Lead offset to 2 and Lag offset to 3 the output will be

One thing to note is that NULL values appear, because there are not values for the Lag or Lead.  To replace NULL values with zero add 0 in Lead\Lag function as shown below. 

SELECT id,department,Code,
LEAD(Code,2,0) OVER (ORDER BY Code ) LeadValue,
LAG(Code,3,0) OVER (ORDER BY Code ) LagValue
FFROM test_table
replace NULL with ‘0' add 0 in Lead\Lag function.

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