Problem joining tables in SQL

Question

SELECT MID, FAD.FirstOpenedDate ,LCD.LastCloseDate
FROM mwMaster.dbo.Merchant M
JOIN        (
            SELECT MerchID, MIN(moddate) AS FirstOpenedDate
            FROM mwMaster.dbo.MerchantStatusHistory
            GROUP BY MerchID
            )   FAD ON FAD.MerchID = M.MerchID 
LEFT JOIN   (
            SELECT MerchID, MAX(moddate) AS LastCloseDate
            FROM mwMaster.dbo.MerchantStatusHistory
            GROUP BY MerchID
            )   LCD ON LCD.MerchID = M.MerchID
JOIN        (
            SELECT merchid ,avg(Transactions) ,avg(Profit) 
            FROM mwMaster.dbo.ResidualSummary RS
            WHERE RS.Date_Processed < LCD.LastCloseDate
            GROUP BY Merchid    
            )   R ON R.MerchID = M.MerchID 

I am having trouble performing the following join. I have run into this problem before and used temp tables but would like to find out what I am doing wrong. Basically the line that is not working is the 3rd to last. The "< LCD.LastClostDate" says that it cannot be bound. Is it possible to use the value from LCD which I created in a nested query above (in that query I used the M table in a similar way but I didnt run into any issue)? I am thinking becasue the LCD table is dynamically created here it cannot be used in the nested query but this is just my guess.

Any ideas?

On a side note I have also seen people using a CROSS and OVER. Not to farmiliar with how this works but may be applicable here?

Answer 1

I think though haven't tested you can just change your JOIN to a CROSS APPLY in SQL 2005+

SELECT MID, FAD.FirstOpenedDate ,LCD.LastCloseDate
FROM mwMaster.dbo.Merchant M
JOIN        (
            SELECT MerchID, MIN(moddate) AS FirstOpenedDate
            FROM mwMaster.dbo.MerchantStatusHistory
            GROUP BY MerchID
            )   FAD ON FAD.MerchID = M.MerchID 
LEFT JOIN   (
            SELECT MerchID, MAX(moddate) AS LastCloseDate
            FROM mwMaster.dbo.MerchantStatusHistory
            GROUP BY MerchID
            )   LCD ON LCD.MerchID = M.MerchID
CROSS APPLY(
        SELECT merchid ,avg(Transactions) ,avg(Profit) 
        FROM mwMaster.dbo.ResidualSummary RS
        WHERE RS.Date_Processed < LCD.LastCloseDate
        GROUP BY Merchid    
        )   R ON R.MerchID = M.MerchID 

But it might be easier to use CTEs

 WITH LCD AS (SELECT MerchID, MAX(moddate) AS LastCloseDate
        FROM mwMaster.dbo.MerchantStatusHistory
        GROUP BY MerchID),
  R AS (
              SELECT merchid ,avg(Transactions) ,avg(Profit) 
              FROM mwMaster.dbo.ResidualSummary RS
                   INNER JOIN LCD on 
                   LCD.MERCHID = RS.MERCHID
              WHERE RS.Date_Processed < LCD.LastCloseDate
              GROUP BY Merchid    
            )

SELECT MID, FAD.FirstOpenedDate ,LCD.LastCloseDate
FROM mwMaster.dbo.Merchant M
JOIN        (
            SELECT MerchID, MIN(moddate) AS FirstOpenedDate
            FROM mwMaster.dbo.MerchantStatusHistory
            GROUP BY MerchID
            )   FAD ON FAD.MerchID = M.MerchID 
LEFT JOIN LCD ON LCD.MerchID = M.MerchID
LEFT JOIN R ON R.MerchID = M.MerchID