Return matches that have at least one message

Question

I have two tables, the match table keeps track of matches and the message_log table keeps track of conversations for a match. Right now I'm getting all the matches by the following query

SELECT * FROM match order by id DESC

But I want to modify it so that it would only return matches that have at least one message in the message_log and at least one message has own_account set to false.

my match table

CREATE TABLE public.match
(
    id bigint NOT NULL DEFAULT nextval('match_id_seq'::regclass),
    match_id character varying(500) COLLATE pg_catalog."default",
    name character varying(30) COLLATE pg_catalog."default",
    birthdate timestamp with time zone,
    bio text COLLATE pg_catalog."default",
    my_id character varying(500) COLLATE pg_catalog."default",
    username character varying(500) COLLATE pg_catalog."default",
    insert_time timestamp with time zone DEFAULT now(),
    account_id bigint,
    CONSTRAINT match_pkey PRIMARY KEY (id),
    CONSTRAINT match_match_id_key UNIQUE (match_id),
    CONSTRAINT matcch_account_fk FOREIGN KEY (account_id)
        REFERENCES public.account (id) MATCH SIMPLE
        ON UPDATE CASCADE
        ON DELETE CASCADE
)

my message_log table

CREATE TABLE public.message_log
(
    id bigint NOT NULL DEFAULT nextval('message_log_id_seq'::regclass),
    message text COLLATE pg_catalog."default",
    from_id text COLLATE pg_catalog."default",
    to_id text COLLATE pg_catalog."default",
    match_id text COLLATE pg_catalog."default",
    unix_timestamp bigint,
    own_account boolean,
    reply_batch boolean DEFAULT false,
    insert_time timestamp with time zone DEFAULT now(),
    account_id bigint,
    match_pk bigint,
    CONSTRAINT message_log_pkey PRIMARY KEY (id),
    CONSTRAINT message_log_message_from_id_to_id_match_id_unix_timestamp_key UNIQUE (message, from_id, to_id, match_id, unix_timestamp),
    CONSTRAINT message_log_account_fk FOREIGN KEY (account_id)
        REFERENCES public.account (id) MATCH SIMPLE
        ON UPDATE NO ACTION
        ON DELETE CASCADE,
    CONSTRAINT message_log_match_id_fk FOREIGN KEY (match_pk)
        REFERENCES public.match (id) MATCH SIMPLE
        ON UPDATE CASCADE
        ON DELETE CASCADE
)

Answer 1

You can do this efficiently and concisely with an EXISTS clause.

SELECT *
FROM match
WHERE EXISTS (
  SELECT 1
  FROM message_log
  WHERE match_pk = match.id
  AND own_account IS FALSE
)
ORDER BY id DESC;

Btw it's really confusing to have match_id, and match_pk in the message_log table. Normally, the convention of _id means you're referencing something else in a different table.

Also, in PostgreSQL we never use character varying(x) unless there is a spec that imposes x you should just be using text.