Get column name which has the max value in a row sql

Question

I have a a table in my database where I store categories for newsarticles and each time a user reads an article it increments the value in the associated column. Like this:<

Answer 1

A very simple way of doing this is shown below

select userId, substring_index(four_highest,',',1) as 'highest value', substring_index(substring_index(four_highest,',',2),',',-1) as '2th highest value',  substring_index(substring_index(four_highest,',',3),',',-1) as '3 rd highest value',  substring_index(four_highest,',',-1) as '4th highest value'   from
(
select userid, convert(group_concat(val) using utf8) as four_highest from
(
select userId,Buitenland as val,'Buitenland' as col from test where userid=9 union
select userId,Economie as val,' Economie' as col from test where   userid=9 union
select userId,Sport as val ,'Sport' as col from test where  userid=9 union
select userId,Cultuur as val,'Cultuur' as col from test where userid=9 union
select userId,Wetenschap as val,'Wetenschap' as col from test where userid=9 union
select userId,Media as val,'Media' as col from test where  userid=9 order by val desc limit 4
) inner_query
)outer_query;