# SQL experts: Is count(\*) or count(1) better?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sql-experts-is-count-or-count-1-better/437297>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 12, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sql-experts-is-count-or-count-1-better/437297 "2008-02-12T17:28:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sql-experts-is-count-or-count-1-better/437297/21 "2008-02-14T04:47:30Z")

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Pikers! The database at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center’s database for their BaBar project was 2 petabytes in size, the last I heard (third quarter 2007).

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**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sql-experts-is-count-or-count-1-better/437297/22 "2008-02-14T04:53:10Z")

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[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried]  
Pikers! The database at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center’s database for their BaBar project was 2 petabytes in size, the last I heard (third quarter 2007).  
[/QUOTE]

Bah it’s not a real database until it’s at LEAST A(g[sub]64[/sub],g[sub]64[/sub]) Yottobytes.

Well SOMEONE had to go all “I manage multiple universes for a hobby” eventually…

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**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sql-experts-is-count-or-count-1-better/437297/23 "2008-02-14T10:03:49Z")

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[QUOTE=susan\_foster]  
Are we playing whose data set is bigger? 'Cause the one I am responsible for gets 40-60 million records a day. At one time we were up to 100 million a day. And each record is a couple hundred fields long.

Do I win?

Susan  
[/QUOTE]

Well, you certainly beat me. It’s not how big it is, though; it’s what you do with it. 😛

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**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sql-experts-is-count-or-count-1-better/437297/24 "2008-02-14T10:12:14Z")

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[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried]  
Pikers! The database at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center’s database for their BaBar project was 2 petabytes in size, the last I heard (third quarter 2007).  
[/QUOTE]

Bah! If we’re talking particle accelerators, then the LHC is expected to generate about 10 petabytes per year. SLAC will need to, well, be a lot less slack.

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