Removing duplicates from query, but not from table

[tyrfboard]

I've been searching for awhile now on how to remove duplicates from a
table within an Access db and have found plenty of articles on finding
or deleting duplicates. All I want to do is remove them from within an
SQL query - leaving one of the records behind of course.

I have a mailing list comprised of a union query that gets records from
two separate tables.
I want to be able to run a query that removes one (or more) of the
duplicated addresses within the query but doesn't make any
modifications to the table.

Please help! :)

[John Welch]

It doesn't really make sense to say you want to delete duplicate addresses
from a query without modifying a table. A query is just a way of displaying
what's in a table, so anything you delete via a query is deleted from the
table. If you want you could put the results of your unioin query into a new
table (make it a make table query), and then you could remove duplicates
from that table (via a query) without modifying the original tables.
hope that helped
-John

"tyrfboard" <ht*****@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:11*********************@g43g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...

I've been searching for awhile now on how to remove duplicates from a
table within an Access db and have found plenty of articles on finding
or deleting duplicates. All I want to do is remove them from within an
SQL query - leaving one of the records behind of course.

I have a mailing list comprised of a union query that gets records from
two separate tables.
I want to be able to run a query that removes one (or more) of the
duplicated addresses within the query but doesn't make any
modifications to the table.

Please help! :)

[Randy Harris]

"tyrfboard" <ht*****@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:11*********************@g43g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...

I've been searching for awhile now on how to remove duplicates from a
table within an Access db and have found plenty of articles on finding
or deleting duplicates. All I want to do is remove them from within an
SQL query - leaving one of the records behind of course.

I have a mailing list comprised of a union query that gets records from
two separate tables.
I want to be able to run a query that removes one (or more) of the
duplicated addresses within the query but doesn't make any
modifications to the table.

Please help! :)

I'm not completely clear on what you are trying to do, but.. A UNION query
will, by default, eliminate duplicate records between the member queries.
If you wanted to include all records, regardless of duplicates, you would
need to use UNION ALL.

If you are getting duplicates from within the member queries, then what you
need is the DISTINCT qualifier.

SELECT DISTINCT
field1, field2, field3
FROM
table1
UNION
SELECT DISTINCT
field1, field2, field3
FROM
table2

This syntax should eliminate all of the duplicates from you query output.

--
Randy Harris
tech at promail dot com
I'm pretty sure I know everything that I can remember.

[tyrfboard]

Thank you for your replies.... let me try to explain what I'm doing and
maybe that will help me get the best of your expert advice.

For example: Lets say I have two tables with names, addresses, etc:
Personal table
Work table

I've got a Union query that merges the fields from Personal and Work
together into one mailing list.

However, there are people who belong on both the personal and work
lists - but I don't want to send mail to those individuals twice.

If each field in these records were exactly the same, then select
distinct would work beautifully. Problem is, the dups might be like
this:

FirstName | LastName | HomeNum | HomeStreet
---------------------------------------------
Jonah | Smith | 1983 | Dovecrest Lane (from work)
Jon | Smith | 1983 | Dovecrest (from personal)

So I would like to have a query that would deselect one of those lines
based on the LastName and HomeNum fields matching up. AND, if
possible, I'd like for the line that is kept to come from the Work
table as that is updated more often.

[Lyle Fairfield]

Oh!

[Randy Harris]

Is the combination of LastName and HomeNum the criteria that would always
use to determine if the records were duplicates?

--
Randy Harris
tech at promail dot com
I'm pretty sure I know everything that I can remember.
"tyrfboard" <ht*****@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@f14g2000cwb.googlegr oups.com...

Thank you for your replies.... let me try to explain what I'm doing and
maybe that will help me get the best of your expert advice.

For example: Lets say I have two tables with names, addresses, etc:
Personal table
Work table

I've got a Union query that merges the fields from Personal and Work
together into one mailing list.

However, there are people who belong on both the personal and work
lists - but I don't want to send mail to those individuals twice.

If each field in these records were exactly the same, then select
distinct would work beautifully. Problem is, the dups might be like
this:

FirstName | LastName | HomeNum | HomeStreet
---------------------------------------------
Jonah | Smith | 1983 | Dovecrest Lane (from work)
Jon | Smith | 1983 | Dovecrest (from personal)

So I would like to have a query that would deselect one of those lines
based on the LastName and HomeNum fields matching up. AND, if
possible, I'd like for the line that is kept to come from the Work
table as that is updated more often.

[tyrfboard]

In this case, yes.

[Randy Harris]

I don't know what you mean by "In this case". It would be rather easy to
create a query that would do what you are asking for if that were the
criteria.

--
Randy Harris
tech at promail dot com
I'm pretty sure I know everything that I can remember.
"tyrfboard" <ht*****@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@g14g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

In this case, yes.

[Randy Harris]

Note to all: This message has been posted to at least one other newsgroup.

--
Randy Harris
tech at promail dot com
I'm pretty sure I know everything that I can remember.
"tyrfboard" <ht*****@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:11*********************@g43g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...

I've been searching for awhile now on how to remove duplicates from a
table within an Access db and have found plenty of articles on finding
or deleting duplicates. All I want to do is remove them from within an
SQL query - leaving one of the records behind of course.

I have a mailing list comprised of a union query that gets records from
two separate tables.
I want to be able to run a query that removes one (or more) of the
duplicated addresses within the query but doesn't make any
modifications to the table.

Please help! :)

[tyrfboard]

Randy,

I meant yes -- I said "in this case" as I might want to change the
criteria at some point.

[tyrfboard]

I apologize if I have broken etiquette on that - I posted to both
groups as I was not sure which one was the best one to get an answer --
clearly it is this one.

[Randy Harris]

"tyrfboard" <ht*****@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@g43g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

I apologize if I have broken etiquette on that - I posted to both
groups as I was not sure which one was the best one to get an answer --
clearly it is this one.

Both groups are excellent for getting answers. Many people monitor them both
(and others as well). It can be irritating to spend time posting an answer
only to find later that it had already been answered in another ng.
Multiposting is generally considered poor netiquette. Much less
objectionable is crossposting, that is posting the same message to 2 or 3
groups in a single message. That way if someone answers in one group, the
answer will appear in the others.
--
Randy Harris
tech at promail dot com
I'm pretty sure I know everything that I can remember.

[tyrfboard]

Again my apologies - I'll do it the right way next time.

[Randy Harris]

OK, how 'bout this?

SELECT
FirstName,
LastName,
HomeNum,
HomeStreet
From
Table1
UNION
SELECT
FirstName,
LastName,
HomeNum,
HomeStreet
From
Table2
Where
LastName & HomeNum Not IN (
SELECT
LastName & HomeNum
From
Table1)

This should return a list inclusive of both tables but where LastName and
HomeNum are duplicated, only the choice from the first table. I generally
try to avoid using NOT In because it tends to be slow and inefficient, but
there are occasions.

HTH,
Randy Harris
tech at promail dot com
I'm pretty sure I know everything that I can remember.
"tyrfboard" <ht*****@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@g44g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

Randy,

I meant yes -- I said "in this case" as I might want to change the
criteria at some point.

[tyrfboard]

I believe that did it!!!! Thank you!!!!

[Mike Preston]

On 15 Dec 2005 15:12:52 -0800, "tyrfboard" <ht*****@gmail.com> wrote:

I believe that did it!!!! Thank you!!!!

If Brad Johnson, who lives at 123 Sycamore is in your work table and
Jane Johnson, who lives at 123 Honeysuckle is in your person table I
hope you don't want to see Jane in the results of your query.

In case I'm being too obtuse, let me put it differently:

You should not have two tables. You should have one table and an
extra field, which would be used to indicate whether the name is
personal, work or both. Really.

mike

[Randy Harris]

FWIW - Mike is absolutely right. I gave you a workaround but it doesn't
correct the real problem.

--
Randy Harris
tech at promail dot com
I'm pretty sure I know everything that I can remember.
"tyrfboard" <ht*****@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@g49g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

I believe that did it!!!! Thank you!!!!