Select distinct from multiple fields using sql

Question

I have 5 columns corresponding to answers in a trivia game database - right, wrong1, wrong2, wrong3, wrong4

I want to return all possible answers without duplicates.

Answer 1

I provided one answer above.

However I figured a much better way to do it using UNPIVOT.

SELECT DISTINCT(ans)
FROM (
    SELECT [Name], ANS 
    FROM (
        SELECT right, wrong1, wrong2, wrong3, wrong4 
        FROM answers
    ) AS PVT
    UNPIVOT 
    (ans FOR [Name] IN (right, wrong1, wrong2, wrong3, wrong4)) AS UNPVT
) AS OUTPUT;

You can provide any WHERE clause in the internal subquery:

SELECT DISTINCT(ans)
FROM (
    SELECT [Name], ANS 
    FROM (
        SELECT right, wrong1, wrong2, wrong3, wrong4 
        FROM answers
        WHERE (...)
    ) AS PVT
    UNPIVOT 
    (ans FOR [Name] IN (right, wrong1, wrong2, wrong3, wrong4)) AS UNPVT
) AS OUTPUT;