A function that partitions a result set and computes something within that partition without rolling up the data in that partition.
A window function partitions a row set into blocks based on some grouping but does not roll up into that grouping. A local calculation can be done within that group that will reset when the system processes the next group.
The SQL syntax for a window function takes the form:
calculation()
over (partition by foo,
order by bar)
The order by clause is optional, but sorts rows within a partition. This can be useful for calculations that should reset across partitions. For example, one could use the windowing function to apply a row number for sorting within the partition or to calculate a running sum within that partition based a date ordering.
The partition by clause in the window function differs from the group by clause in SQL in that it does not actually aggregate the data in the partitions.
