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Databases

Donnie Driskell
Donnie Driskell
2,243 Points

Can't figure out COUNT() for challenge task #1

https://teamtreehouse.com/library/reporting-with-sql/aggregate-and-numeric-functions/counting-groups

In the library database there's a books table. There are id, title, author, genre and first_published columns. Count all the books in each genre. Include the genre column first and the genre_count as the second column of information.

this is my query: SELECT genre, COUNT(genre) AS genre_count FROM books GROUP BY genre;

This is my Result: Bummer: didn't return the correct results However, the table that it returned had two columns genre and genre_count. The only problem I see is that there is a missing genre (?)

If you run my query, you will see the empty space that has "0" in genre_count. So then I tried to run a query that would be WHERE genre_count => 0; and still no go.

thank you for your help. Donnie

3 Answers

Rashmi Jha
Rashmi Jha
2,842 Points

SELECT DISTINCT genre, COUNT(*) AS "genre_count" FROM books GROUP BY genre;

use DISTINCT keyword with genre. This query works for me i hope this will work for you too.

Curtis Vanzandt
Curtis Vanzandt
9,165 Points

For what it's worth, the reason why this works is because in the following:

SELECT genre, COUNT(genre) AS genre_count FROM books GROUP BY genre;

Counting the genres ignores all the null genres. That's why when you run back, it starts with a count of 0 for the lack of genre.

Donnie Driskell
Donnie Driskell
2,243 Points

Thank you Rashmi. Yes, that query worked for me.