MySQL Unique Question

[The Hobo]

I need a refresher here. Let's say I want to select from a database where the user='blah' and subscribe='1' but there will be multiple entries for that user. This is for the boards I'm working on, if you need a better picture of what I'm doing.

So can I do:

SELECT UNIQUE user, subscribe WHERE user='blah' AND subscribe='1'

Or:

SELECT UNIQUE user WHERE user='blah' AND subscribe='1'

Or...?

[The Hobo]

oh, it's DISTINCT, isn't it?

[phpman]

why use distinct if you have the where clause looking for a specific user?

and you let users have the same user name as everybody else?

distinct looks for words that have multiple copies of itself and gets just one.

[The Hobo]

because there can be more than one entry (more than one post) in table for that user with the same parent.

I figured it out. Works perfectly with distinct. Without it, it would return:

The Hobo
The Hobo
The Hobo

and I would get three subscription e-mails. Distinct limits that to one unique username in the result.

[phpman]

ahh sorry that makes since. helps to know what you were trying to do and how many results you were trying to get. I assumed (shame on me) that you only wanted one result.

[The Hobo]

Originally posted by phpman
ahh sorry that makes since. helps to know what you were trying to do and how many results you were trying to get. I assumed (shame on me) that you only wanted one result.

Sorry about that.