MySQL throws error 3065 when ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY or DISTINCT requires every ORDER BY column to appear in the SELECT list.
MySQL error 3065 ER_FIELD_IN_ORDER_NOT_SELECT occurs when ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY or DISTINCT is active and an ORDER BY column is missing from SELECT. Add the column to SELECT, wrap it in an aggregate, or disable ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY to resolve the issue.
ER_FIELD_IN_ORDER_NOT_SELECT
MySQL raises error 3065 with message “Expression # of ORDER BY clause is not in SELECT list” when ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY or DISTINCT is on and a query orders by a column that is not returned in the SELECT list or wrapped in an aggregate function.
The rule, introduced in MySQL 5.7.5, enforces deterministic results by ensuring every nonaggregated column used for sorting or filtering is functionally dependent on the grouped columns.
ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY SQL mode is enabled by default in MySQL 5.7 and later. The mode requires all nonaggregated columns in ORDER BY or HAVING to appear in the SELECT clause.
Queries using DISTINCT also trigger the check: ORDER BY expressions must exactly match the projection list to prevent undefined ordering after duplicate removal.
An alias removed during query rewrite or a view that hides the column can inadvertently cause the error even when the original SQL looked correct.
Add the missing column to the SELECT list so that ORDER BY references a selected expression.
Wrap the column in an aggregate such as MIN() or MAX() when you need a representative value per group.
Disable ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY at session level with SET sql_mode = (SELECT REPLACE(@@sql_mode,'ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY','')) when backward-compatibility outweighs strict correctness.
Aggregated reports: include the grouped column in SELECT, then ORDER BY it to rank groups.
DISTINCT user lists sorted by created_at: SELECT DISTINCT user_id, created_at FROM events ORDER BY user_id, created_at.
Subquery pattern: SELECT * FROM (SELECT id, MAX(score) AS top FROM tests GROUP BY id) t ORDER BY top DESC;
Always write explicit column lists instead of SELECT * so missing columns are obvious.
Validate queries in Galaxy’s editor. The linter highlights ORDER BY columns absent from SELECT, preventing runtime errors.
Add automated tests that run in a staging database with ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY enabled to catch violations early.
Error 1055 (ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY) occurs when nonaggregated columns in SELECT are not in GROUP BY. Fix by adding columns to GROUP BY or aggregating them.
Error 1221 (Incorrect usage of UNION and ORDER BY) happens when ORDER BY appears before the last SELECT in a UNION chain. Move ORDER BY to the end of the unioned query.
Error 3064 (DISTINCT and ORDER BY) appears when ORDER BY refers to a non-selected blob/text column in a DISTINCT query. Include the column or drop DISTINCT.
This mode forces every nonaggregated column referenced in ORDER BY or HAVING to be listed in SELECT, triggering error 3065 when the rule is violated.
When DISTINCT removes duplicates, MySQL must sort by the exact same columns; any additional column in ORDER BY throws the error.
If a view or derived table omits a column later used for ordering, the outer query fails with ER_FIELD_IN_ORDER_NOT_SELECT.
Occurs when nonaggregated columns appear in SELECT but not in GROUP BY; resolved by grouping or aggregating.
Triggered by invalid data type conversions; fix by adjusting data formats or column types.
Raised when inserted data exceeds column limits; solve by widening column definitions or validating input.
Ignoring it by disabling ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY may cause nondeterministic result sets. Use that approach only for quick debugging, not in production.
The error prevents execution, so there is no performance cost. Correcting the query usually has minimal impact on execution time.
SELECT * is safe if every referenced column is part of GROUP BY or aggregated. However, explicit lists reduce the risk of errors.
Galaxy’s real-time linter flags ORDER BY columns missing from SELECT, and the AI copilot suggests compliant rewrites before the query reaches MySQL.
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