select distinct (sql server 2000) afraid i dont know how to use 1

[pssheba]

Hi !
My table contains phone numbers.
I want to show all the phone numbers but each number once only:

select distinct phone
from
my phones

but i get all the phones including few of each number.
How do i write that distict to show me each number once only ?
Phone number is not a primary key.
Thanks !

 

[bborissov]

This should give you the distinct phones, but how do you store the phones in that table? Is there a difference between them:
This phone 99 999 999 is different than 9 999 999 99 or 999999999

Borislav Borissov
VFP9 SP1, SQL Server 2000/2005.
MVP VFP

 

[pssheba]

Hi bborissov !
The phone column is varchar 255 and the "distinct" is not working ! I get the same phone number on 2 3 and more rows.
This table comes from a text file !
I import a text file originally from Excel.
Can i define the phone field prior to the import action ?
Thank you very much !

 

[bborissov]

DISTINCT must work. But maybe you have some other chars in that field. Can you run this just for test:

SELECT DISTINCT REPLACE(phone,' ','') AS Phone
FROM [My Phones]
ORDER BY Phone

Borislav Borissov
VFP9 SP1, SQL Server 2000/2005.
MVP VFP

 

[pssheba]

It worked this time !
Thank you so much bborissov !
are you a professional life guard ?:-D