Final answer:
In a SQL SELECT statement with WHERE, HAVING, and GROUP BY clauses, the WHERE clause is evaluated first, followed by GROUP BY, and then HAVING. This order affects how queries are written and their results.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the order in which WHERE, HAVING, and GROUP BY clauses are evaluated in a SQL SELECT statement. Contrary to what might seem logical to some, the GROUP BY clause is not evaluated first. In SQL, the execution order starts with the WHERE clause to filter rows before they are grouped. Afterward, the results are grouped using the GROUP BY clause.
Finally, the HAVING clause is applied to filter the grouped results. This order is important to understand as it affects how we write queries and anticipate their results. Grouping data in different ways can provide insights from different angles, and choosing one over another can depend on the specific requirements of the query or the desired output.