# How to select distinct fields grouped by one field and concat them in one field with parameter in ruby

**URL:** <https://metaruby.com/t/how-to-select-distinct-fields-grouped-by-one-field-and-concat-them-in-one-field-with-parameter-in-ruby/1533>\
**Category:** Ruby Questions\
**Created:** [February 18, 2018, 11:04am UTC](https://metaruby.com/t/how-to-select-distinct-fields-grouped-by-one-field-and-concat-them-in-one-field-with-parameter-in-ruby/1533 "2018-02-18T11:04:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![geministars](https://metaruby.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@geministars](https://metaruby.com/u/geministars)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 11:04am UTC](https://metaruby.com/t/how-to-select-distinct-fields-grouped-by-one-field-and-concat-them-in-one-field-with-parameter-in-ruby/1533/1 "2018-02-18T11:04:24Z")

</div>

I have an table that includes these field:

```
table phonebook

  id   
  user_id
  number
  name
  added
  card_id
  speeddial
  updated_at
  sms_group_name

```

some records have same `sms_group_name` and `number`, but there is some duplicate `number` for same `sms_group_name`. First I want to take distinct `number` for each `sms_group_name` and group\_concat with , delimiter.

query result must be like this:

I want to take result as a `<ActiveRecord::Relation [#<Phonebook user_id: 5, number: "xxxxx,xxxxxx,xxxxxx", sms_group_name: "tem1">, #<Phonebook user_id: 5, number: "xxxxx,xxxxxx,xxxxxx", sms_group_name: "tem2">`

```
select where condition is user_id

```

I tried all of them :

```
@a = Phonebook.select(["DISTINCT number","sms_group_name"]).where(user_id: session[:user_id]).order(:sms_group_name).distinct
@a = Phonebook.where(user_id: session[:user_id])
Product.where.not(restaurant_id: nil).select("DISTINCT ON(name) name, restaurant_id, price, updated_at").order("name, updated_at")
@a = Phonebook.where(user_id: session[:user_id]).select("DISTINCT ON(number) number, added, user_id, speeddial, updated_at,sms_group_name").order("sms_group_name")
Phonebook.select("DISTINCT(number), *").where("user_id = ?", session[:user_id]).order("sms_group_name ASC").group_by(&:sms_group_name)
Location.where("calendar_account_id = ?", current_user.calendar_accounts.first).group(:alias).order("alias ASC").group_by(&:category)
@a = Phonebook.where("user_id = ?", session[:user_id]).order("sms_group_name ASC").group(:sms_group_name)
@a = Phonebook.select("DISTINCT(number), sms_group_name").where("user_id = ?", session[:user_id]).order("sms_group_name ASC").group_by(&:sms_group_name)
@a = Phonebook.select(:number)distinct.where("user_id = ?", session[:user_id]).order("sms_group_name ASC").group_by(&:sms_group_name)
@a = Phonebook.select("DISTINCT(number), sms_group_name").group("sms_group_name")
Phonebook.select("DISTINCT ON (number,sms_group_name) number,sms_group_name").where(user_id: session[:user_id]).order(:sms_group_name).group_by{ |p| p.sms_group_name }

```

most of them give error or does not work.

How can achieve this?

I tried select all values into object array, after that I tried to eliminate them, but there is no suitable solution for now.

what can be solutions for both:

1. solution by using query and may be added one block
2. solution by using hash or array

NOTE: I use mysql server

best regards,