RE: [Q] SQLPLUS help on "distinct"

2003 06:44:40
>
>I have problem to use "distinct" with Function on
>select statement. Can anyone give me a hint?
>
>Thanks.
>
>SQL> select distinct (rpad(employee_id,6,' '))
>||';'||
>ssn from EMP
> 2 order by employee_id;
>select distinct (rpad(employee_id,6,' ')) ||';'||
>ssn
>from EMP
> *
>ERROR at line 1:
>ORA-01791: not a SELECTed expression
>

Methinks that the problem is with the ORDER BY. The DISTINCT will sort, anyway. Just make sure that your expression will sort the way you want (ie that you will not have 1234 before 23 because of number-to-char conversions - careful formatting can take care of that, just a matter of aliging properly).

HTH Stephane Faroult
Oriole

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Author: Stephane Faroult
  INET: sfaroult_at_oriolecorp.com

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