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+---
+title: Common Table Expressions
+description: Learn how to use CTEs to write more readable and maintainable queries
+order: 120
+type: lesson-challenge
+setup: |
+  ```sql
+  CREATE TABLE book (
+      id INT PRIMARY KEY,
+      title VARCHAR(255),
+      price DECIMAL(10,2),
+      category VARCHAR(100)
+  );
+
+  CREATE TABLE sale (
+      id INT PRIMARY KEY,
+      book_id INT,
+      customer_id INT,
+      sale_date DATE,
+      quantity INT
+  );
+
+  CREATE TABLE customer (
+      id INT PRIMARY KEY,
+      name VARCHAR(255),
+      joined_date DATE
+  );
+
+  INSERT INTO book (id, title, price, category) VALUES
+      (1, 'SQL Basics', 29.99, 'Programming'),
+      (2, 'Advanced SQL', 49.99, 'Programming'),
+      (3, 'Data Science', 39.99, 'Data Analysis'),
+      (4, 'Web Development', 34.99, 'Programming'),
+      (5, 'Statistics 101', 24.99, 'Data Analysis');
+
+  INSERT INTO sale (id, book_id, sale_date, quantity, customer_id) VALUES
+      (1, 1, '2024-01-15', 2, 1),
+      (2, 1, '2024-01-16', 1, 2),
+      (3, 2, '2024-01-15', 3, 1),
+      (4, 3, '2024-01-17', 1, 3),
+      (5, 4, '2024-01-18', 2, 4),
+      (6, 1, '2024-01-19', 1, 3),
+      (7, 2, '2024-01-20', 2, 4),
+      (8, 3, '2024-01-21', 1, 3);
+
+  INSERT INTO customer (id, name, joined_date) VALUES
+      (1, 'John Smith', '2023-12-01'),
+      (2, 'Jane Doe', '2023-12-15'),
+      (3, 'Bob Wilson', '2024-01-01'),
+      (4, 'Alice Brown', '2024-01-10');
+  ```
+---
+
+In our previous lessons, we've been writing queries that can sometimes get complex and hard to read. Common Table Expressions (CTEs) provide a way to break down complex queries into more manageable pieces, making them easier to understand and maintain.
+
+## What is a CTE?
+
+A Common Table Expression (CTE) is a temporary named result set that you can reference within a your queries. Think of it as creating a temporary view that exists only for the duration of your query.
+
+The basic syntax for a CTE is:
+
+```sql
+WITH cte_name AS (
+  -- any SELECT query here
+)
+-- Main query that uses the CTE
+SELECT * FROM cte_name;
+```
+
+Let's look at some simple examples to get the idea.
+
+### Example 1: Find all engineering books
+
+Query below is a simple CTE to find all the engineering books:
+
+```sql
+WITH engineering_books AS (
+    SELECT id, title, price
+    FROM book
+    WHERE category = 'Engineering'
+)
+SELECT * FROM engineering_books;
+```
+
+### Example 2: Programming books and their sales
+
+Say we want to find all programming books and their total sales:
+
+```sql
+WITH programming_books AS (
+    SELECT id, title, price
+    FROM book
+    WHERE category = 'Programming'
+)
+SELECT
+    pb.title,
+    COALESCE(SUM(s.quantity), 0) as total_sales
+FROM programming_books pb
+LEFT JOIN sale s ON s.book_id = pb.id
+GROUP BY pb.id, pb.title;
+```
+
+In this example, we first create a CTE named `programming_books` that contains only programming books. Then, we use this CTE in our main query to calculate total sales.
+
+For a simple example like this, we could have just used a simple JOIN query but for more complex queries, CTEs can help make the query more readable and maintainable.
+
+## Benefits of CTEs
+
+Here are some of the benefits you get when using CTEs:
+
+- **Improved Readability**: By breaking down complex queries into named parts, the code becomes easier to understand.
+- **Code Reusability**: You can reference the same CTE multiple times in your main query.
+- **Better Maintenance**: When you need to modify the logic, you only need to change it in one place.
+
+Let's look at a more complex example that demonstrates these benefits. This query calculates monthly sales statistics for books.
+
+```sql
+-- CTE 1: Calculate total sales per book per month
+WITH monthly_sales AS (
+    SELECT
+        book_id,
+        DATE_TRUNC('month', sale_date) as month,
+        SUM(quantity) as total_quantity
+    FROM sale
+    GROUP BY book_id, DATE_TRUNC('month', sale_date)
+),
+-- CTE 2: Calculate statistics per category and month
+book_stats AS (
+    SELECT
+        b.category,
+        ms.month,
+        SUM(ms.total_quantity) as books_sold,
+        AVG(b.price * ms.total_quantity) as avg_revenue
+    FROM monthly_sales ms
+    INNER JOIN book b ON b.id = ms.book_id
+    GROUP BY b.category, ms.month
+)
+-- Main query: Select and format the results
+SELECT
+    category,
+    month,
+    books_sold,
+    ROUND(avg_revenue, 2) as average_revenue
+FROM book_stats
+ORDER BY month, category;
+```
+
+Did you notice how our query has distinct sections?
+
+- CTE 1: Calculate total sales per book per month
+- CTE 2: Calculate statistics per category and month
+- Main query: Simple query to select and format the results
+
+Now that we have 3 different simpler queries instead of one complex query, it's easier to understand and maintain.
+
+## Multiple CTEs
+
+As we saw in the query above, you can define multiple CTEs separated by commas. CTEs can be used in the other CTEs as well.
+
+For example, let's say we want to find the top 3 selling books and the number of new customers (joined date > 2024-01-01) who bought them.
+
+```sql
+-- CTE 1: Find the top 3 selling books
+WITH top_selling_books AS (
+    SELECT
+        book_id,
+        SUM(quantity) AS total_sold
+    FROM sale
+    GROUP BY book_id
+    ORDER BY SUM(quantity) DESC
+    LIMIT 3
+),
+-- CTE 2: Find all customers who joined after 2024-01-01
+recent_customers AS (
+    SELECT *
+    FROM customer
+    WHERE joined_date >= '2024-01-01'
+)
+-- Main query: Find the books and the number of new customers who bought them
+SELECT
+    b.title,
+    tsb.total_sold,
+    COUNT(DISTINCT c.id) AS new_customer_count
+FROM top_selling_books tsb
+INNER JOIN book b ON b.id = tsb.book_id
+INNER JOIN sale s ON s.book_id = tsb.book_id
+INNER JOIN recent_customers c ON c.id = s.customer_id
+GROUP BY b.title, tsb.total_sold;
+```
+
+## Best Practices
+
+When using CTEs, make sure to follow these best practices:
+
+- **Use Meaningful Names**: Give your CTEs clear, descriptive names that indicate their purpose.
+- **Keep Them Focused**: Each CTE should handle one logical part of your query.
+- **Consider Performance**: While CTEs improve readability, they don't necessarily improve performance. The database engine will still need to execute all the operations.
+
+In our next lesson, we will learn how to write recursive CTEs to handle hierarchical data structures.