SQL DISTINCT

What is SQL DISTINCT?

SQL DISTINCT is a SQL keyword that specifies that only distinct / non-duplicate results are to be returned.

DISTINCT can apply to single columns or to multiple columns.

Why Use SQL DISTINCT?

The DISTINCT keyword can help to understand information. For example, a query containing DISTINCT could return a non-duplicated list of cities where a company does business.

How To Use SQL DISTINCT

SQL DISTINCT is used as follows.

SQL DISTINCT Syntax

The word DISTINCT can be placed in front of a single column name or a number of column names. When in front of multiple column names, a distinct combination is returned.

SQL DISTINCT Example

The following example a DISTINCT list of region_nbr referenced in the branch table is returned.

Here are the contents of the table:

Table: BRANCH

branch_nbr	branch_name	region_nbr	employee_count
108	New York	100	10
110	Boston	100	6
212	Chicago	200	5
404	San Diego	400	6
415	San Jose	400	3

This SQL Statement with DISTINCT is executed:

Here is the result.

region_nbr

100

200

400