DUPLICATE Function
Syntax
Arguments
- subexpr
Any valid expression that includes a field or a combination of fields from the current table or set that specifies what you want to examine. Any type
- over
Optional. When to use the function (instead of on every record).
- each
Optional. When to reset the value produced by the function to 0 (instead at the end of all records). The Group and Sub_Group are optional parameters that define the range of records to summarize, and may or may not be required, depending upon the context of the summary calculation. Possible values for GRP >Group and GRP >Sub_Group include:
- GRAND (all records)
- The name of the current table.
- The name of a table in the current set.
- The name of a grouping level that is defined in a report layout.
- DETAIL (over the records in the detail section)
Description
Get the duplicates count of subexpression over group 'over' sampled each group 'each'
Discussion
DUPLICATE() returns the number of duplicate records for the Expression evaluated for a group of records. The Expression is evaluated for all the records in the sub-group that are related to the record's current group, and then the resulting values are examined for duplicates. The number of duplicate instances within the group is returned. For example, to summarize the line-items in an invoice set, the Group parameter might be GRP >INVOICE and the Sub_Group parameter GRP >INV_ITEM. This means the summary operation includes only those child records in INV_ITEM related to the current parent record in the INVOICE table. To summarize all the records in a table or set, use the name GRAND as the Group name. The Group GRP >GRAND and Sub_Group GRP >INV_ITEM produce a summary result based on all invoices. If you are using this summary function in a report layout, the group name can be the name assigned to any of the report's grouping levels. This function is a report writer function, not intended for table level field rules or other expressions. While the function may perform in some areas outside of the report writer, its use there is not supported.
Assume that an invoicing set consists of two tables. One holds the invoices ( INVOICE ), and the other holds each invoice's line-items ( INV_ITEM ):
- INVOICE
- >
- INV_NO
- CUST_ID and INV_TOTAL
- I100
C001 10.00
- I101
C003 25.50
- I102
C001 100.75
- I103
C004 32.50
- I104
- C002 110.25
- I105
- C005 98.35
- INV_ITEM
- >
- INV_NO
- AMOUNT
- I100
4.50
- I100
5.50
- I101
25.50
- I102
3.25
- I102
35.25
- I102
62.25
- I103
32.50
- I104
110.25
- I105
98.35
INVOICE is related to INV_ITEM through a one-to-many link on the INV_NO field. To determine the number of line-item records for a particular invoice, use the following expression:
duplicate(INV_ITEM->INV_NO, GRP ->INVOICE, GRP ->INV_ITEM) -> 2, if the current INV_NO is "I102"
There are three INV_ITEM records, with an INV_NO of "I102"; two of them are duplicates.
Limitations
This function is a report writer function, not intended for table level field rules or other expressions.
See Also