What about a CASE statement to insert a constant into the name fields if they are blank? Then, you can use a distinct to ensure you return only one email address for null names?
SOmething like: Select DISTINCT CASE WHEN FirstName is null THEN 1 ELSE table.firstName END AS FirstName, CASE WHEN LastName is null THEN 2 ELSE table.LastName END AS LastName, emailAddress Every record with a null first and last name should look the same, unless their email addy is different. Think that'll work. Syntax untested of course. HTH, G On 10/30/06, Duane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi All, > > I have a sql question for anyone willing to help me get my head unstuck. > > > I have the following sample data: > > RegDate FirstName LastName Email > 10/1/2006 NULL NULL [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 10/2/2006 NULL NULL [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 10/2/2006 NULL NULL [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 10/3/2006 Fred Flintstone [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 10/8/2006 Barney Rubble [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 10/9/2006 NULL NULL [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > In my returned dataset I need to get the following: > 10/1/2006 NULL NULL [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 10/2/2006 Fred Flintstone [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 10/8/2006 Barney Rubble [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Basically I need all records that have a first and last name, and only the > null records that have a distinct email address. > > I had written the following: > > select RegDate, Firstname, Lastname, Email > from dbo.LitRequest > where (FirstName is not null or FirstName <> '') > or l.Email not in ( > select Email from dbo.LitRequest > where FirstName is not null or FirstName <> '') > > The only thing I can think of is to use a cursor and generate a temp table > on the fly. Cursors tend to be processor hogs and I'm looking for an > alternative. > > Thanks, > Duane > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Introducing the Fusion Authority Quarterly Update. 80 pages of hard-hitting, up-to-date ColdFusion information by your peers, delivered to your door four times a year. http://www.fusionauthority.com/quarterly Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:218733 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
