SQL Server SUM() for DISTINCT records - tsql

Question

I have a field called "Users", and I want to run SUM() on that field that returns the sum of all DISTINCT records. I thought that this would work:
SELECT SUM(DISTINCT table_name.users)
FROM table_name
But it's not selecting DISTINCT records, it's just running as if I had run SUM(table_name.users).
What would I have to do to add only the distinct records from this field?

Answer 1

Use count()
SELECT count(DISTINCT table_name.users)
FROM table_name
SQLFiddle demo

Answer 2

This code seems to indicate sum(distinct ) and sum() return different values.
with t as (
select 1 as a
union all
select '1'
union all
select '2'
union all
select '4'
)
select sum(distinct a) as DistinctSum, sum(a) as allSum, count(distinct a) as distinctCount, count(a) as allCount from t
Do you actually have non-distinct values?
select count(1), users
from table_name
group by users
having count(1) > 1
If not, the sums will be identical.

Answer 3

You can see for yourself that distinct works with the following example. Here I create a subquery with duplicate values, then I do a sum distinct on those values.
select DistinctSum=sum(distinct x), RegularSum=Sum(x)
from
(
select x=1
union All
select 1
union All
select 2
union All
select 2
) x
You can see that the distinct sum column returns 3 and the regular sum returns 6 in this example.

Answer 4

You can use a sub-query:
select sum(users)
from (select distinct users from table_name);

Answer 5

SUM(DISTINCTROW table_name.something)
It worked for me (innodb).
Description - "DISTINCTROW omits data based on entire duplicate records, not just duplicate fields." http://office.microsoft.com/en-001/access-help/all-distinct-distinctrow-top-predicates-HA001231351.aspx

Answer 6

;WITH cte
as
(
SELECT table_name.users , rn = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY users ORDER BY users)
FROM table_name
)
SELECT SUM(users)
FROM cte
WHERE rn = 1
SQL Fiddle
Try here yourself
TEST
DECLARE #table_name Table (Users INT );
INSERT INTO #table_name Values (1),(1),(1),(3),(3),(5),(5);
;WITH cte
as
(
SELECT users , rn = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY users ORDER BY users)
FROM #table_name
)
SELECT SUM(users) DisSum
FROM cte
WHERE rn = 1
Result
DisSum
9

Answer 7

If circumstances make it difficult to weave a "distinct" into the sum clause, it will usually be possible to add an extra "where" clause to the entire query - something like:
select sum(t.ColToSum)
from SomeTable t
where (select count(*) from SomeTable t1 where t1.ColToSum = t.ColToSum and t1.ID < t.ID) = 0

Answer 8

May be a duplicate to
Trying to sum distinct values SQL
As per Declan_K's answer:
Get the distinct list first...
SELECT SUM(SQ.COST)
FROM
(SELECT DISTINCT [Tracking #] as TRACK,[Ship Cost] as COST FROM YourTable) SQ