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I have found Common Table Expressions -- which are slightly easier for the developer to re-order in the query -- to be even more readable than subqueries.

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Yes, CTE's are a much more readable than subqueries IMO. I can't really explain it but it just makes queries easier to build and read to me.

Two benefits:

1) The flow is clearer: take this, then transform this, then filter this

2) CTEs makes it easy to debug parts. You just change what you select from on the last line.

Number 2 is the kicker IMO

And this is why you should always, always have a `final` CTE and the last line should be `select * from final` so that you can easily change this.

We use a LOT of SQL at $current_dayjob and I almost always end up adding this to the queries. Clearly I need to do a better job of evangelising my approach.

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