List all employees in 2 columns based on the salary ranking.

Problem: List all employee names and their respective salaries in 2 columns based in the salary ranking (from the highest to the lowest).

Expected Result:

 ID LEFT_NAME      LEFT_SAL RIGHT_NAME    RIGHT_SAL
--- ------------ ---------- ------------ ----------
  1 KING               5000 FORD               3000
  2 SCOTT              3000 JONES              2975
  3 BLAKE              2850 CLARK              2450
  4 ALLEN              1600 TURNER             1500
  5 MILLER             1300 WARD               1250
  6 MARTIN             1250 ADAMS              1100
  7 JAMES               950 SMITH               800

Problem Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Solution:
I have picked 5 best performing methods to solve this problem. The idea behind each method can be found in my book: “Oracle SQL Tricks and Workarounds”

Method/Workaround #1: Using Hierarchical Query (Level: Advanced)

WITH X AS (
SELECT ename, sal, ROW_NUMBER()OVER(ORDER BY sal DESC) RN
FROM EMP
)
SELECT  rn/2 AS id, PRIOR ename left_name, PRIOR sal left_sal, ename right_name, sal right_sal
FROM X
WHERE MOD(level,2)=0
START WITH rn=1
CONNECT BY rn=1+PRIOR rn

Method/Workaround #2: Using Analytical Function (Level: Advanced)

WITH X AS (
SELECT ename left_name, sal left_sal, 
       LEAD(ename, 1) OVER(ORDER BY sal DESC) AS right_name, 
       LEAD(sal, 1) OVER(ORDER BY sal DESC) as right_sal,
       ROW_NUMBER() OVER(ORDER BY sal DESC) rn
from emp
)
SELECT (rn+1)/2 AS ID, left_name, left_sal,
                       right_name, right_sal
FROM X
WHERE MOD(rn,2)=1
ORDER BY rn

Method/Workaround #3: Using PIVOT Clause (Level: Advanced)

SELECT *
FROM (SELECT CEIL(rn/2) AS ID, ename, sal, 2-MOD(rn,2) AS col_no
      FROM (SELECT ename, sal, ROW_NUMBER() OVER(ORDER BY sal DESC) rn
            FROM emp
            )
      )
PIVOT (MAX(ename) AS name,
       MAX(sal)   AS sal
       FOR (col_no) IN (1 AS left, 2 AS right)
       )
ORDER BY 1

Method/Workaround #4: Using MAX function on concatenated column expression (Level: Advanced)

WITH X AS (
SELECT LPAD(sal, 5, '0') || ename as sname, ROW_NUMBER()OVER(ORDER BY sal DESC) rn
FROM EMP
)
SELECT CEIL(rn/2) ID, SUBSTR(MAX(SNAME), 6) left_name,  TO_NUMBER(SUBSTR(MAX(SNAME), 1, 5)) left_sal, 
                      SUBSTR(MIN(SNAME), 6) right_name, TO_NUMBER(SUBSTR(MIN(SNAME), 1, 5)) right_sal
FROM X
GROUP BY CEIL(rn/2)
ORDER BY 1

Method/Workaround #5: Using Self-Join (Level: Intermediate)

WITH X AS (
SELECT ename, sal, ROW_NUMBER()OVER(ORDER BY sal DESC) rn
FROM EMP
)
SELECT B.rn/2 AS ID, a.ename AS left_name, a.sal AS left_sal,
                     b.ename AS right_name, b.sal AS right_sal
FROM x a LEFT JOIN x b ON a.rn+1=b.rn 
WHERE mod(a.rn,2)=1   

For more tricks and cool techniques check my book “Oracle SQL Tricks and Workarounds” for instructions.