Postgresql conditionally include distinct in query

Question

Postgresql conditionally include distinct in query

Is there way to modify a query such as:

select distinct col1, col2  
            from our_schema.our_table
            where (id = '1001')

The goal is to easily activate/deactivate the distinct keyword.

Obviously, one could move it to a comment such as:

select col1, col2 -- distinct 
            from our_schema.our_table
            where (id = '1001')

Is there any easy way to do this in Postgresql?

I've seen 'dynamic SQL' in Microsoft SSMS using TSQL language. Is there something like this for Postgresql? Or something even simpler?

Answer 1

Seems like this is just about code management / building SQL strings?

Insert a line break after DISTINCT. The only significance of white space in SQL is to separate tokens. Other than that, line breaks are purely cosmetic - except for standard comments starting with -- which end with the line.

SELECT DISTINCT
       col1, col2 ...

-->

SELECT -- DISTINCT
       col1, col2 ...

Or even:

SELECT
       DISTINCT
       col1, col2 ...

-->

SELECT
--     DISTINCT
       col1, col2 ...

Or use C-style block comments: /* comment */

SELECT DISTINCT col1, col2 ...

-->

SELECT /*DISTINCT*/ col1, col2 ...