Introduction to LIMIT and OFFSET

In MySQL, the 

LIMIT
and 
OFFSET
clauses are essential for implementing paged queries. These clauses allow you to retrieve a specific subset of rows from a result set, making it possible to implement pagination in your applications. In this guide, we'll explore how to use 
LIMIT
and 
OFFSET
for paged queries.


Basic Syntax

The basic syntax for using 

LIMIT
and 
OFFSET
in a MySQL query is as follows:

            SELECT column1, column2, ...
            FROM table
            LIMIT number_of_rows
            OFFSET starting_row;
        

number_of_rows
is the maximum number of rows to return, and 
starting_row
is the starting point from which to retrieve rows.


Example: Implementing Pagination

Let's consider an example where we have a "products" table, and we want to implement pagination to display 10 products per page. To display the second page of products, you can use the 

LIMIT
and 
OFFSET
clauses as follows:

            SELECT product_name, price
            FROM products
            LIMIT 10 OFFSET 10;

This query retrieves the 11th to 20th rows from the "products" table, which corresponds to the second page of products.


Advanced Usage

Advanced usage involves dynamically calculating the 

LIMIT
and 
OFFSET
values based on user input to achieve seamless pagination.

            -- Calculate LIMIT and OFFSET for the nth page with 10 products per page
            SET @page_number = 2;
            SET @products_per_page = 10;
            SET @offset = (@page_number - 1) * @products_per_page;
            SELECT product_name, price
            FROM products
            LIMIT @products_per_page OFFSET @offset;

Conclusion

MySQL's 

LIMIT
and 
OFFSET
clauses are fundamental for implementing paged queries, enabling you to retrieve and display subsets of data in your applications. By understanding their usage and considering advanced scenarios, you can create efficient and user-friendly paginated interfaces.