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# `distinct`

## Description

The `distinct` command returns one document per unique value (or combination of values) for the given expressions. It is particularly useful for reporting or identifying unique entities within a dataset.

Functionally, it behaves like a lightweight `groupby` without any aggregation functions—simply collapsing duplicates and returning the first occurrence of each distinct value.

Note

Use `distinct` when you want a list of unique keys, not an aggregate summary.

## Syntax

```
distinct <expression> [as <alias>] [, <expression_2> [as <alias_2>], ...]
```

## Example

**Use case: Generate a list of unique active users**

Suppose your logs contain multiple entries per user as they interact with your system. You can use `distinct` to produce a clean list of unique usernames for reporting or activity tracking.

### Example data

```
{ "username": "Chris", "action": "login" },

{ "username": "Chris", "action": "upload" },

{ "username": "Dave", "action": "login" },

{ "username": "Maria", "action": "logout" },

{ "username": "Maria", "action": "login" }
```

### Example query

```
source logs

| filter username != null

| distinct username as active_users
```

### Example output

| active\_users |
| ------------- |
| Chris         |
| Dave          |
| Maria         |

The `distinct` command collapses repeated usernames into a single record for each, creating a clear list of active users.