removing duplicate entries in SQL Field

Hi All,

Below is a snippet of MS SQL inside some VB that retieves
Commodity info such as product names and related information and returns the results in an ASP Page. My problem is that with certain searches, elements returned in the synonym field repeat. For instance, on a correct search I get green, red, blue, and yellow which is correct. On another similar search with different commodity say for material, I get Plastic, Glass,Sand - Plastic, Glass,Sand - Plastic, Glass, Sand. I want to remove the repeating elements returned in this field. IOW, I just need one set of Plastic, Glass and Sand. I hope this makes sense.

Below is the SQL and the results from the returned page.

PS I tried to use distinct but with no luck I want just one of each in the example below.

Thanks in Advance!

Scott

==============================

SQL = ""
SQL = "SELECT B.CIMS_MSDS_NUM," & _
"A.COMMODITY_NUMBER, " & _
"B.CIMS_TRADE_NME," & _
"B.CIMS_MFR_NME," & _
"B.CIMS_MSDS_PREP_DTE," & _
"B.APVL_CDE," & _
"COALESCE(C.REGDMATLCD,'?') AS DOTREGD," & _
"COALESCE( D.CIMS_TRADE_SYNM,'NO SYNONYMS') AS SYNONYM, " & _
"A.MSDS_CMDTY_VERIF, " & _
"A.CATALOG_ID " & _
"FROM ( MATEQUIP.VMSDS_CMDTY A " & _
" RIGHT OUTER JOIN MATEQUIP.VCIMS_TRD_PROD_INF B " & _
" ON A.CIMS_MSDS_NUM = B.CIMS_MSDS_NUM " & _
" LEFT OUTER JOIN MATEQUIP.VDOT_TRADE_PROD C " & _
" ON A.CIMS_MSDS_NUM = C.MSDSNUM " & _
" LEFT OUTER JOIN MATEQUIP.VCIMS_TRD_PROD_SYN D " & _
" ON B.CIMS_MSDS_NUM = D.CIMS_MSDS_NUM) "

SQL1 = ""
SQL1 = SQL

SQL = SQL & "WHERE " & Where & " "
==================================

Here is a piece of the problem field, note repeating colors etc.

CCM-PAINTS & COATINGS (1/26/98)F65E36 ORANGE F65W1 GLOSS WHITEF65B50 WR. IRON FLAT BLACK F65R2 TARTAR RED DARKF65B4 SEMI-GLOSS BLACK F65R1 VERMILIONF65B1 GLOSS BLACK F65N11 RICH BROWNF65A49 ASA #49 GRAY F65M1 MAROONF65A4 MACHINE TOOL GRAY F65L10 BRIGHT BLUEF65A2 LIGHT GRAY F65L7 PALE BLUEF65A1 WARM GRAY F65L6 TURQUOISEF65L4 DARK BLUEF65L3 LIGHT BLUE V65V100 MIXING CLEARF65H1 IVORY F65Y48 LIGHT YELLOWF65G41 FOREST GREEN F65Y44 LEMON YELLOWF65G40 MEDIUM GREEN F65W100 MIXING WHITEF65G39 LIGHT GREEN F65W4 TINTING WHITEF65G16 SEMI-GLOSS MACHINERY GRE F65W3 CUSTOM WHITEF65E37 INTERNATIONAL ORANGE F65W2 SEMI-GLOSS WHITEF65B50 WR. IRON FLAT BLACK F65R2 TARTAR RED DARKF65B4 SEMI-GLOSS BLACK F65R1 VERMILIONF65B1 GLOSS BLACK F65N11 RICH BROWNF65A49 ASA #49 GRAY F65M1 MAROONF65A4 MACHINE TOOL GRAY F65L10 BRIGHT BLUEF65A2 LIGHT GRAY F65L7 PALE BLUEF65A1 WARM GRAY F65L6 TURQUOISEDISAPPROVED BY CCM-PAINTS & COATINGS (1/26/98)F65L4 DARK BLUEF65L3 LIGHT BLUE V65V100 MIXING CLEARF65H1 IVORY F65Y48 LIGHT YELLOWF65G41 FOREST GREEN F65Y44 LEMON YELLOWF65G40 MEDIUM GREEN F65W100 MIXING WHITEF65G39 LIGHT GREEN F65W4 TINTING WHITEF65G16 SEMI-GLOSS MACHINERY GRE F65W3 CUSTOM WHITEF65E37 INTERNATIONAL ORANGE F65W2 SEMI-GLOSS WHITEF65E36 ORANGE F65W1 GLOSS WHITEDISAPPROVED BY CCM-PAINTS & COATINGS (1/26/98)F65A2 LIGHT GRAY F65L7 PALE BLUEF65A1 WARM GRAY F65L6 TURQUOISEF65B4 SEMI-GLOSS BLACK F65R1 VERMILIONF65B1 GLOSS BLACK F65N11 RICH BROWNF65A49 ASA #49 GRAY F65M1 MAROONF65A4 MACHINE TOOL GRAY F65L10 BRIGHT BLUEF65L4 DARK BLUEF65L3 LIGHT BLUE V65V100 MIXING CLEARF65H1 IVORY F65Y48 LIGHT YELLOWF65G41 FOREST GREEN F65Y44 LEMON YELLOWF65G40 MEDIUM GREEN F65W100 MIXING WHITEF65G39 LIGHT GREEN F65W4 TINTING WHITEF65G16 SEMI-GLOSS MACHINERY GRE F65W3 CUSTOM WHITEF65E37 INTERNATIONAL ORANGE F65W2 SEMI-GLOSS WHITEF65E36 ORANGE F65W1 GLOSS WHITEF65B50 WR. IRON FLAT BLACK F65R2 TARTAR RED DARKF65A1 WARM GRAY F65L6 TURQUOISEDISAPPROVED BY CCM-PAINTS & COATINGS (1/26/98)F65B1 GLOSS BLACK F65N11

Hi,

if you are using denormalized stored values, you will first have denormalized them to use SQL Server functions for grouping / distinct them. You will have to separate the values first using a separator and using a function like this one here:

HTH, Jens K. Suessmeyer.

http://www.sqlserver2005.de