Result set
set of results returned by a database query, typically a non-permanent SQL table of rows and metadata such as column names, types and column sizes (usually not known up front)
A result set is the set of results returned by a query, usually in the same format as the database the query is called on. For example, in SQL, which is used in conjunction with relational databases, it is the result of a SELECT query on a table or view and is itself a non-permanent table of rows, and could include metadata about the query such as the column names, and the types and sizes of each column. In an object database, the result set is usually a collection of objects from the database.
Depending on the database, the number of rows in the result set may or may not be known. Usually, this number is not known up front because the result set is built on the fly. A cursor can be used by client applications to fetch a few rows of the result set at a time.
Sorting
In SQL, there is no guarantee that the rows of a result set returned by a SELECT query are in any particular order unless the ORDER BY clause is used in the query, which sorts the rows of the result set in ascending or descending order based on one or more columns.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Result set” is set of results returned by a database query, typically a non-permanent SQL table of rows and metadata such as column names, types and column sizes (usually not known up front). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Result, results and returned, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “set of results returned by a database query, typically a non-permanent SQL table of rows and metadata such as column names, types and column sizes (usually not known up front)” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 9, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q7316353. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Result set” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.