Retrieving Highest Number in MySQL Table?

[All4172]

What is the most effecient way to retrieve a table with a highest number in a mysql database?

For instance my numbers range from 1 and is currently at 40,000 +.  The number will always be going up and I want the latest highest number when I run the query.  Any help I would be greatly appreciative for.

[taith]

[code]
$result = mysql_query("SELECT MAX(id) FROM mail");
$row = mysql_fetch_array($result);
echo $row['MAX(id)'];
[/code]

[Orio]

Let's say the column with the number is "number":
SELECT * FROM `table_name` ORDER BY number LIMIT 1

Orio.

[Nicklas]

[quote author=Orio link=topic=116265.msg473630#msg473630 date=1164471389]
Let's say the column with the number is "number":
SELECT * FROM `table_name` ORDER BY number LIMIT 1

Orio.
[/quote]


You would have to add DESC to your query, or it will order ASC.

ex
[code=php:0]SELECT * FROM `table_name` ORDER BY number DESC LIMIT 1[/code]

[printf]

[b]taith[/b] way would be the best, because it doesn't need to use a index, which means your using maximum optimization, for a key type column or if it's not a auto_increment it still would be faster, because you wouldn't need to filesort the index.

printf

[Nicklas]

yes, I agree with printf, using MAX in the query is the preferred way.