SQL SELECT DISTINCT Statement

SQL

SQL SELECT DISTINCT Statement : SQL SELECT DISTINCT statement is used to return only distinct (different) values.

  • The SELECT DISTINCT statement is used to return only distinct (different) values.
  • Inside a table, a column often contains many duplicate values; and sometimes you only want to list the different (distinct) values.
  • The SELECT DISTINCT statement is used to return only distinct (different) values.

SELECT DISTINCT Syntax

SELECT DISTINCT column1, column2, …
FROM table_name;

Demo Database

Below is a selection from the “Customers” table in the Northwind sample database:

CustomerID CustomerName ContactName Address City PostalCode Country
1 Alfreds Futterkiste Maria Anders Obere Str. 57 Berlin 12209 Germany
2 Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados Ana Trujillo Avda. de la Constitución 2222 México D.F. 05021 Mexico
3 Antonio Moreno Taquería Antonio Moreno Mataderos 2312 México D.F. 05023 Mexico
4 Around the Horn Thomas Hardy 120 Hanover Sq. London WA1 1DP UK
5 Berglunds snabbköp Christina Berglund Berguvsvägen 8 Luleå S-958 22 Sweden

 

SELECT Example

The following SQL statement selects all (and duplicate) values from the “Country” column in the “Customers” table:

Example

SELECT Country FROM Customers;

Output

Number of Records: 13

Country
Germany
Mexico
Mexico
UK
Sweden
Germany
France
Spain
France
Canada
UK
Argentina
Mexico

 

Now, let us use the DISTINCT keyword with the above SELECT statement and see the result.