Thread: Populating a Table

Hello,

I'm sure I'll be flagged as a moron for asking this question, so be it.

I have some tables of info with no primary keys.  As a result the field I want to key on is repeated.  My plan is to do
aDISTINCT select from the un-keyed table into another table that does have constraints. 

Here is what I thought would work:

INSERT INTO table2
 SELECT DISTINCT(key), name, field1, field2
 FROM table1;

When I issue this statement it tells me that you cannot put in duplicate values into my key field.  Why does it do
that? If I issue the following statement I get exactly what I want: 

SELECT DISTINCT(phone) from table1;

Am I using the DISTINCT function incorrectly?  Is it taking all of the field and using them to create a distinct row?

Any help would be appreciated.

Chris.

try
INSERT INTO table2
 SELECT DISTINCT ON key key, name, field1, field2
 FROM table1;

sherwin

Chris@pcguru.com writes:
>Hello,
>
>I'm sure I'll be flagged as a moron for asking this question, so be it.
>
>I have some tables of info with no primary keys.  As a result the field I
>want to key on is repeated.  My plan is to do a DISTINCT select from the
>un-keyed table into another table that does have constraints.
>
>Here is what I thought would work:
>
>INSERT INTO table2
> SELECT DISTINCT(key), name, field1, field2
> FROM table1;
>
>When I issue this statement it tells me that you cannot put in duplicate
>values into my key field.  Why does it do that?  If I issue the following
>statement I get exactly what I want:
>
>SELECT DISTINCT(phone) from table1;
>
>Am I using the DISTINCT function incorrectly?  Is it taking all of the
>field and using them to create a distinct row?
>
>Any help would be appreciated.
>
>Chris.
>

Hey Sherwin,

You da man!

Your statement worked great, I just had to put parentheses around key:

i.e.
 DISTINCT ON (key)

Thank you very much.

Chris.

>>> "pgsql-admin" <pgsql-admin@fc.emc.com.ph> 10/29/00 09:42PM >>>
try
INSERT INTO table2
 SELECT DISTINCT ON key key, name, field1, field2
 FROM table1;

sherwin

Chris@pcguru.com writes:
>Hello,
>
>I'm sure I'll be flagged as a moron for asking this question, so be it.
>
>I have some tables of info with no primary keys.  As a result the field I
>want to key on is repeated.  My plan is to do a DISTINCT select from the
>un-keyed table into another table that does have constraints.
>
>Here is what I thought would work:
>
>INSERT INTO table2
> SELECT DISTINCT(key), name, field1, field2
> FROM table1;
>
>When I issue this statement it tells me that you cannot put in duplicate
>values into my key field.  Why does it do that?  If I issue the following
>statement I get exactly what I want:
>
>SELECT DISTINCT(phone) from table1;
>
>Am I using the DISTINCT function incorrectly?  Is it taking all of the
>field and using them to create a distinct row?
>
>Any help would be appreciated.
>
>Chris.
>