% This is generated by ESQL's AbstractFunctionTestCase. Do not edit it. See ../README.md for how to regenerate it.

**Examples**

```esql
FROM employees
| STATS COUNT(height)
```

| COUNT(height):long |
| --- |
| 100 |

To count the number of rows, use `COUNT()` or `COUNT(*)`

```esql
FROM employees
| STATS count = COUNT(*) BY languages
| SORT languages DESC
```

| count:long | languages:integer |
| --- | --- |
| 10 | null |
| 21 | 5 |
| 18 | 4 |
| 17 | 3 |
| 19 | 2 |
| 15 | 1 |

The expression can use inline functions. This example splits a string into multiple values
using the `SPLIT` function and counts the values.

```esql
ROW words="foo;bar;baz;qux;quux;foo"
| STATS word_count = COUNT(SPLIT(words, ";"))
```

| word_count:long |
| --- |
| 6 |

To count the number of times an expression returns `TRUE` use a
[`WHERE`](/reference/query-languages/esql/commands/where.md) command to remove rows that
shouldn’t be included.

```esql
ROW n=1
| WHERE n < 0
| STATS COUNT(n)
```

| COUNT(n):long |
| --- |
| 0 |

To count the number of times *multiple* expressions return `TRUE` use a WHERE inside the STATS.

```esql
FROM employees
| STATS
    gte20 = COUNT(*) WHERE height >= 2,
    lte18 = COUNT(*) WHERE height <= 1.8
```

| gte20:long | lte18:long |
| --- | --- |
| 20 | 56 |

`COUNT`ing a multivalued field returns the number of values. `COUNT`ing `NULL` returns 0.
`COUNT`ing `true` returns 1. `COUNT`ing `false` returns 1.

```esql
ROW mv = [1, 2], n = NULL, t = TRUE, f = FALSE
| STATS COUNT(mv), COUNT(n), COUNT(t), COUNT(f)
```

| COUNT(mv):long | COUNT(n):long | COUNT(t):long | COUNT(f):long |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |

You may see a pattern like `COUNT(<expression> OR NULL)`. This has the same meaning as
`COUNT() WHERE <expression>`. This relies on `COUNT(NULL)` to return `0` and builds on the
three-valued logic ([3VL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-valued_logic)): `TRUE OR NULL` is `TRUE`, but
`FALSE OR NULL` is `NULL`. Prefer the `COUNT() WHERE <expression>` pattern.

```esql
ROW n=1
| STATS COUNT(n > 0 OR NULL), COUNT(n < 0 OR NULL)
```

| COUNT(n > 0 OR NULL):long | COUNT(n < 0 OR NULL):long |
| --- | --- |
| 1 | 0 |