New TOXNET DISPLAY Command

A new command, DISPLAY UNIQUE, gives users of TRI and other TOXNET files an easy way to display a list of unique data element values from a sorted retrieval set. A typical Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) database search might involve finding what chemicals were reported released by Aerocrop Corporation (fictitious example) facilities. First search for the corporation's facilities in the Facility Name (FNM) field by entering AEROCROP (FNM). This might retrieve 56 records with only 5 unique chemicals in those 56 records. Then perform a SORT on the chemical name field by giving the command SORT NAME. Now enter DISPLAY UNIQUE to see a list of these five chemicals along with the number of postings for each. Before this new command was implemented, searchers would have had to issue a PRINT command for all 56 records retrieved and scan through them to identify the five unique chemicals. To see the above example worked out in more detail, and for additional information about DISPLAY UNIQUE, connect to TOXNET and enter EXPLAIN DISPLAY UNIQUE at any USER: prompt.