### Unique
![[assets/ex_unique.png|256]]
### The Explain Trace
```sql
-- Performing a DISTINCT on a sorted index
SET enable_hashagg = off;
EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, COSTS, BUFFERS, VERBOSE)
SELECT DISTINCT species_id
FROM animals
ORDER BY species_id;
```
```text
Unique (cost=1.29..438.29 rows=5 width=4) (actual time=1.009..1.879 rows=5 loops=1)
Output: species_id
Buffers: shared hit=22
-> Index Only Scan using idx_animals_species_id on public.animals (...)
```
---
- **Description**: Removes duplicate rows from the result set.
- **Performance**: High performance if the input is already sorted; removes duplicates in a single pass.
- **Factors**: Dataset size and the cost of the child sort/index scan node.
- **Cost**: `cpu_tuple_cost * number of tuples`
- **Operates on**: [[Structures/Result Set]]
- **Workloads**:
- [[Workloads/LWLock/Buffers/BufferContent|LWLock: BufferContent]]