[SPARK-27653] Add max_by() / min_by() SQL aggregate functions

• Type: New Feature
• Status: Resolved
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 3.0.0
• Fix Version/s: 3.0.0
• Component/s: SQL
• Assignee: L. C. Hsieh
• Reporter: Josh Rosen
• Created: 07/May/19 22:54
• Updated: 09/Oct/21 03:02
• Resolved: 13/May/19 14:39

Description

It would be useful if Spark SQL supported the max_by() SQL aggregate function. Quoting from the Presto docs:

max_by(x, y) → [same as x]
Returns the value of x associated with the maximum value of y over all input values.

min_by works similarly.

Technically I can emulate this behavior using window functions but the resulting syntax is much more verbose and non-intuitive compared to max_by / min_by.

Issue Links

• relates to: SPARK-36963 Add max_by/min_by to sql.functions
• links to: GitHub Pull Request #24557
• links to: GitHub Pull Request #26264