Re: count( distinct x )

Najm Hashmi wrote:

> Anthony wrote:
>
> > Michael Fork wrote:
> >
> > > I think you want
> > >
> > > SELECT count(distinct(area)) FROM areapostcode WHERE postcode LIKE 'BS1%'
> > >
> >
> > psql still not happy :(
> >
> > SELECT count(distinct(area)) FROM areapostcode WHERE postcode LIKE 'BS1%';
> > ERROR: parser: parse error at or near "distinct"
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Bap.
> >
> > >
> > > Michael Fork - CCNA - MCP - A+
> > > Network Support - Toledo Internet Access - Toledo Ohio
> > >
> > > On Mon, 27 Nov 2000, Anthony wrote:
> > >
> > > > Apologies if this has been asked b4, but got this result when
> > > > attemplting to search the archives on the website
> > > >
> > > > Not Found
> > > >
> > > > The requested URL /mhonarc/pgsql-sql/search.cgi was not found on this
> > > > server.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Apache/1.3.12 Server at postgresql.rmplc.co.uk Port 80
> > > >
> > > > The problem I have is with this statement:
> > > >
> > > > select count( distinct area ) from areapostcode where postcode like
> > > > 'BS1%'
> > > >
> > > > the above statement fails with
> > > > ERROR: parser: parse error at or near "distinct"
> > > >
> > > > I am not the greatest when it comes to SQL, but the pgsql docs implied
> > > > that the above would work.
> > > >
> > > > What I am trying to do is get a count of the no of matches from the
> > > > statement below
> > > > select distinct area from areapostcode where postcode like 'BS1%'
> > > >
> > > > Not the count of:
> > > > select area from areapostcode where postcode like 'BS1%'
> > > >
> > > > Can anyone help?
> > > >
> > > > TIA
> > > > Bap.
> > > >
>
> Hi,
> I think this might work: It works on my machine, and I have postgres 7.xx
> SELECT distinct(count(area)) FROM areapostcode WHERE postcode LIKE 'BS1%'
>
> Regrads
> Najm

no, this one succedes, but returns the count of
select area from areapostcode where postcode like 'BS1%'
not the count of
select distinct area from areapostcode where postcode like 'BS1%'

but I have just replied to this list with the following

select version();
version
-------------------------------------------------------------------
PostgreSQL 6.5.3 on i686-pc-linux-gnu, compiled by gcc egcs-2.91.66
(1 row)