EXCEPT - 1

  • Easy enough if you know how EXCEPT and related options work.

    But don't quite understand the statement "The key to this is of course the use of DISTINCT".

    There is no use of DISTINCT, so how can it be the key to anything?

  • Toreador (5/28/2013)


    But don't quite understand the statement "The key to this is of course the use of DISTINCT".

    There is no use of DISTINCT, so how can it be the key to anything?

    First sentence of the explanation, emphasis mine:

    "EXCEPT returns any distinct values from the left query that are not also found on the right query"


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  • I guess you're right. I'd assumed it meant the keyword DISTINCT, given that it was in uppercase 🙂

  • skanker (5/20/2013)


    Thanks for the question. It might be easy for others, however I learnt something on this. I did not do my research first and thought it would be three.

    Same here.

  • Ignored completely the DISTINCT usage

    leearned something today

  • Easy one. This is according to the SQL standard. Unfortunately, SQL Server does not support except all and intersect all, which both is a part of the SQL Standard. There are times where I really missed them, especially except all.



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  • Also nice piece of information regarding INTERSECT and EXCEPT: NULL values are regarded as the same. A behaviour as if SET ANSI_NULLS were OFF.

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