i m having two tabels in ms sql server ..one is catagory_master(cat_id,cat_nm) and another is user_post(cat_id,post_date)..and both have cat_id in common..so i want to display all cat_nm in left side but in right hand side i only want to display only one row which has highest date(last post) in it(i.e in post_date)..so can u tell me the qury for that..i have used left outer join also...hint:- i m devloping forum just like thinkdigit and if u have seen in thinkdigit forum..there is only one last post displayed with its catagory(bydemand,software etc.) i want same thing..