SELECT with DISTINCT and TOP

Question

Post reply

SELECT with DISTINCT and TOP

Thomas Franz

Hall of Fame

Points: 3889
More actions
June 17, 2017 at 11:28 pm

#331176

Comments posted to this topic are about the item SELECT with DISTINCT and TOP
God is real, unless declared integer.

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply

George Vobr SSCrazy Eights Points: 9991 More actions · Answer 1

Thanks Thomas for this question. Yes, back to the basics, but I still looked into MSDN before answering ...😉

Kingston Dhasian SSCoach Points: 19799 More actions · Answer 2

Nice question. Thanks.

Kingston Dhasian

How to post data/code on a forum to get the best help - Jeff Moden
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/

sknox SSChampion Points: 12388 More actions · Answer 3

I always get the order of these two confused, because it's one of the places where SQL diverges from English.
In English, DISTINCT TOP 5 would mean "get the distinct values of the top five results" -- which with this data set would return only one row (1), whereas TOP 5 DISTINCT clearly means "get the top 5 values of the distinct results."
SQL uses the first syntax, but to mean the second instruction.

webrunner SSC-Dedicated Points: 31851 More actions · Answer 4

Thanks for this instructive question.

-------------------
A SQL query walks into a bar and sees two tables. He walks up to them and asks, "Can I join you?"
Ref.: http://tkyte.blogspot.com/2009/02/sql-joke.html

Revenant SSC-Forever Points: 42467 More actions · Answer 5

Revenant

SSC-Forever

Points: 42467

June 19, 2017 at 10:25 am

#1947282

Nice - thanks, Thomas!

Stewart "Arturius" Campbell SSC Guru Points: 72619 More actions · Answer 6

Nice, simple question, thanks Thomas

____________________________________________
Space, the final frontier? not any more...
All limits henceforth are self-imposed.
“libera tute vulgaris ex”