Ranking rows using SQL Server Rank function without skipping a rank number

Question

I want to rank rows in a table without skipping numbers in the rank. Please see below example.

CREATE TABLE #test(
apples int NOT NULL,
) ON [PRIMARY]
GO

insert into #test( apples ) values ( 10 )
insert into #test( apples ) values ( 10 )
insert into #test( apples ) values ( 20 )
insert into #test( apples ) values ( 30 )

select *, RANK() over (order by apples) as theRank from #test

drop table #test
go

The result is

apples   theRank
10       1
10       1
20       3
30       4

How can I get the rank to not skip the number 2, so that the result looks like

apples   theRank
10       1
10       1
20       2<--
30       3<--

I don't have to use the Rank function, as long as I get the desired ordering.

Thanks!!

Answer 1

Try using DENSE_RANK instead of RANK

select *, DENSE_RANK() over (order by apples) as theRank from #test