INF: Cannot SELECT DISTINCT * on a Table w/ Text/Image Column

Last reviewed: April 10, 1997
Article ID: Q162032

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft SQL Server, version 6.5

SUMMARY

SQL Server 6.5 no longer allows a 'SELECT DISTINCT * FROM <table>' if that table has a text/image column. If you attempting to perform such a query, you will receive the following error message:

   Msg 8163: Text/Image datatype cannot be selected as DISTINCT.

Earlier versions of SQL Server treated this as a valid query if the table contained a unique index or primary key, whose existence would guarantee that the row was distinct. In the presence of such an index, the following message would have been raised:

   Msg 421: TEXT and IMAGE datatypes may not be selected as DISTINCT.
   SQL Server has never allowed a DISTINCT operation on an individual text
   or image column.

Additional query words: sql60 sql65 error
Keywords : kbusage SSrvProg SSrvTran_SQL
Version : 6.5
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kberrmsg

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Last reviewed: April 10, 1997
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