postgresql7.1 select contact_id, coalesce(family_name,family_name,'None') as family_name, coalesce(given_name,given_name,'None') as given_name, middle_name, company_name, email, 'f' as write_p, 'f' as delete_p, p.first_names || ' ' || p.last_name as owner, g.category_name as category from contacts c left join contact_categories g on (c.category_id = g.category_id), acs_objects o left join persons p on (o.creation_user = p.person_id) where c.contact_id = o.object_id ${search_clause} ${starts_with_clause} order by $ordering select distinct substr(upper(family_name), 1, 1) as letter from contacts