To display the running totals is a usual request, and there is no direct and easier way then this to do so in SQL.

The purpose to use SQL to display running totals is similar to displaying rank: first we have to self-join, then, list out the results in order.

Where as finding the rank requires doing a count on the number of records that's listed ahead of  the record of interest, finding the running total requires summing the values for the records that's listed ahead of  the record of interest.

Name	  Sales

Himanshu   10

Manish     15	 

Prateek    20

Mayank	   40

Suresh     50

Mohan	   20

We want the cumilative sum of the table based on the total sale being made.

SELECT a1.Name, a1.Sales, SUM(a2.Sales) Running_Total
FROM Total_Sales a1, Total_Sales a2
WHERE a1.Sales <= a2.sales or (a1.Sales=a2.Sales and a1.Name = a2.Name)
GROUP BY a1.Name, a1.Sales
ORDER BY a1.Sales DESC, a1.Name DESC;

Name	  Sales	 Running_Total


Himanshu   50	  50

Manish	   40	  90

Prateek	   20	  110

Mayank	   20	  130

Suresh     15	  145

Mohan	   10	  155