--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, Adriano dos Santos Fernandes
<adrianosf@...> wrote:

>
> Estie escreveu:
> > --- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, "Alan McDonald" <alan@>
> > wrote:
> >>> Hi. We have a table with applicants and use the 'select distinct
> >>> (surname) from applicant' to populate a drop-down.
> >>>
> >>> The resulting list includes applicant with a surname "Wilson "

but

> >>> not "Wilson".
> >>>
> >>> Any ideas about why this could be? We are using Firebird 2.1 on
> > Windows
> >>> 2003 Server.
> >>> Regards, Pieter
> >> Is the (surname) field a varchar? or char? It might be char in

your

> > case and
> >> maybe it should be varchar.
> >> How are the values inserted or updated? via your own interface

or

> > via an
> >> external datapump of some kind?
> >> Alan
> >>
> > The (surname) field is varchar(20) using win1252 characterset and
> > collation. The values are entered manually by the applicant or
> > interviewer.
> >
> > How does the distinct verb decide whether a value is distinct in

a

> > list or not?
> >
> Accordingly to SQL standard, by default 'Wilson' = 'Wilson '. You

could

> create and use a NO PAD collation since v2.0.
>
> create collation win1252_nopad -- you could change this name
> for win1252
> from win1252 no pad;
>
> Using this collation 'Wilson' will be <> 'Wilson ' and hence they

will

> be distinct.
>
> Please note that this feature was not widely tested.
>
>
> Adriano
>

Thank you. If that is the standard then we will modify the
application to trim the trailing spaces when user input is done. This
will solve the problem.

Regards, Pieter.