The SQL DISTINCT keyword is a powerful tool used in SELECT statements to eliminate duplicate rows from query results. It's an essential feature for data analysis and reporting, ensuring that only unique values are returned.
DISTINCT serves a crucial role in data retrieval:
The DISTINCT keyword is placed immediately after the SELECT keyword in a query:
SELECT DISTINCT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name;
To retrieve unique values from a single column:
SELECT DISTINCT city
FROM customers;
This query returns a list of unique cities from the customers table, eliminating any duplicates.
DISTINCT can also be applied to multiple columns:
SELECT DISTINCT country, city
FROM customers;
This query returns unique combinations of country and city, treating each combination as a distinct entity.
The DISTINCT keyword is particularly useful in scenarios such as:
The SQL DISTINCT keyword is a valuable tool for data analysis and query optimization. By understanding its proper usage and considering its impact on query performance, you can effectively leverage DISTINCT to retrieve unique data sets and gain valuable insights from your databases.