I need help with DISTINCT

vigour

I am trying to get all distinct keywords from a table but it will give me duplicates.

$result = mysql_query("SELECT DISTINCT keyword_id, keyword FROM keyword ORDER BY keyword");

I need a query that ignores the keyword_id field and just gives me distinct keywords based on the keyword field. Should I use GROUP BY, how?

jgetner

try removing keyword_id?

vigour

I know that it works if I remove keyword_id but I need both keyword_id and keyword.

jgetner

why not just do a separate query for the keyword_id?

vigour

Well, that is maybe a solution but I rather want a single query that does everything.

bradgrafelman

If you want keyword_id, then which id do you want? If there are four values of 'foo' and all (obviously) have different id's, which one should be returned?

vigour

It does not matter which one, just one of them.

bradgrafelman

In that case, yes, it sounds like you want to GROUP BY the keyword column so that identical values are grouped into a single row.

vigour

Can you please show me how that query looks like?

jgetner

well i would suggest making a new query for the keyword_id for the reasons separation is good for understandability.

and will i think be more consistent in the long run for you do not make a super query that does it all.

vigour

I think I got it.

$result = mysql_query("SELECT DISTINCT keyword_id, keyword FROM keyword GROUP BY keyword");

bradgrafelman

You can remove the 'DISTINCT' keyword as well, since including it doesn't make any sense.

vigour

Do you mean like this?

$result = mysql_query("SELECT keyword_id, keyword FROM keyword GROUP BY keyword");

It seems that the result is the same.