Thread

  1. ORDER BY COLUMN_A, (COLUMN_B or COLUMN_C), COLUMN_D

    Rodrigo Rosenfeld Rosas <rr.rosas@gmail.com> — 2012-09-12T21:44:15Z

    This is my first message in this list :)
    
    I need to be able to sort a query by column A, then B or C (which one
    is smaller, both are of the same type and table but on different left
    joins) and then by D.
    
    How can I do that?
    
    Thanks in advance,
    Rodrigo.
    
    
    
  2. Re: ORDER BY COLUMN_A, (COLUMN_B or COLUMN_C), COLUMN_D

    Samuel Gendler <sgendler@ideasculptor.com> — 2012-09-12T21:53:48Z

    you put a conditional clause in the order by statement, either by
    referencing a column that is populated conditionally, like this
    
    select A, when B < C Then B else C end as condColumn, B, C, D
    from ...
    where ...
    order by 1,2, 5
    
    or
    
    select A, when B < C Then B else C end as condColumn, B, C, D
    from ...
    where ...
    order by A,condColumn, D
    
    or you can just put the conditional statement in the order by clause (which
    surprised me, but I tested it)
    
    select A, B, C, D
    from ...
    where ...
    order by A,when B < C then B else C end, D
    
    
    
    On Wed, Sep 12, 2012 at 2:44 PM, Rodrigo Rosenfeld Rosas <rr.rosas@gmail.com
    > wrote:
    
    > This is my first message in this list :)
    >
    > I need to be able to sort a query by column A, then B or C (which one
    > is smaller, both are of the same type and table but on different left
    > joins) and then by D.
    >
    > How can I do that?
    >
    > Thanks in advance,
    > Rodrigo.
    >
    >
    > --
    > Sent via pgsql-sql mailing list (pgsql-sql@postgresql.org)
    > To make changes to your subscription:
    > http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-sql
    >
    
  3. Re: ORDER BY COLUMN_A, (COLUMN_B or COLUMN_C), COLUMN_D

    Gavin Flower <gavinflower@archidevsys.co.nz> — 2012-09-12T22:34:52Z

    On 13/09/12 09:44, Rodrigo Rosenfeld Rosas wrote:
    > This is my first message in this list :)
    >
    > I need to be able to sort a query by column A, then B or C (which one
    > is smaller, both are of the same type and table but on different left
    > joins) and then by D.
    >
    > How can I do that?
    >
    > Thanks in advance,
    > Rodrigo.
    >
    >
    I created a script 'variable_sort_order.sql'...
    
    DROP TABLE IF EXISTS tabc;
    
    CREATE TABLE tabc
    (
         id  serial PRIMARY KEY,
         a   int,
         b   int,
         c   int,
         d   int
    );
    
    
    INSERT INTO tabc (a, b, c, d)
    VALUES (generate_series(1, 6),
             3 * random(),
             3 * random(),
             generate_series(1, 5));
    
    
    SELECT
         *
    FROM
         tabc t
    ORDER BY
         t.a,
         LEAST(t.b, t.c),
         t.d
    /**/;/**/
    
    gavin=> \i variable_sort_order.sql
    DROP TABLE
    psql:variable_sort_order.sql:10: NOTICE:  CREATE TABLE will create 
    implicit sequence "tabc_id_seq" for serial column "tabc.id"
    psql:variable_sort_order.sql:10: NOTICE:  CREATE TABLE / PRIMARY KEY 
    will create implicit index "tabc_pkey" for table "tabc"
    CREATE TABLE
    INSERT 0 30
      id | a | b | c | d
    ----+---+---+---+---
      25 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5
       7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2
       1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1
      13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3
      19 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4
       8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3
      14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4
      26 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1
      20 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5
       2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2
       3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3
      21 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1
      27 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2
      15 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5
       9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4
       4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4
      10 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 5
      16 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1
      22 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2
      28 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3
      11 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1
      17 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2
      23 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3
       5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5
      29 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4
      18 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3
      12 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2
      24 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4
      30 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 5
       6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1
    (30 rows)
    
    
    
    
    
    
  4. Re: ORDER BY COLUMN_A, (COLUMN_B or COLUMN_C), COLUMN_D

    Rodrigo Rosenfeld Rosas <rr.rosas@gmail.com> — 2012-09-12T23:18:42Z

    Replied just to Samuel and forgot to include the list in my reply. Doing 
    that now, sorry...
    
    Em 12-09-2012 18:53, Samuel Gendler escreveu:
    > you put a conditional clause in the order by statement, either by 
    > referencing a column that is populated conditionally, like this
    >
    > select A, when B < C Then B else C end as condColumn, B, C, D
    > from ...
    > where ...
    > order by 1,2, 5
    >
    > or
    >
    > select A, when B < C Then B else C end as condColumn, B, C, D
    > from ...
    > where ...
    > order by A,condColumn, D
    >
    > or you can just put the conditional statement in the order by clause 
    > (which surprised me, but I tested it)
    >
    > select A, B, C, D
    > from ...
    > where ...
    > order by A,when B < C then B else C end, D
    
    Thank you for your insight on this, Samuel, and for your quick answer :)
    
    But I don't think it would solve the issue I have.
    
    I'm developing a query builder for a search engine.
    
    The user is able to query any amount of available filters. And some 
    fields may have any number of aggregate fields.
    
    So, suppose you're looking for an event sponsored by some company.
    
    In the events records there could be some fields like Sponsor, Sponsor 
    2, Sponsor 3 and Sponsor 4. Yes, I know it is not a good design choice, 
    but this is how the system I inherited works.
    
    So, in the Search interface, there is no way to build OR statements. So, 
    there is a notion of aggregate fields where Sponsor is the aggregator 
    one and the others are aggregates from Sponsor. Only Sponsor shows up in 
    the Search UI.
    
    So, suppose the user wants to sort by event location and then by sponsor.
    
    If there are multiple sponsors for a given event I want to be able to 
    sort by the one that would be indexed first.
    
    How could I create a generic query for dealing with something like this?
    
    Thank you,
    Rodrigo.
    
    
    >
    >
    >
    > On Wed, Sep 12, 2012 at 2:44 PM, Rodrigo Rosenfeld Rosas 
    > <rr.rosas@gmail.com <mailto:rr.rosas@gmail.com>> wrote:
    >
    >     This is my first message in this list :)
    >
    >     I need to be able to sort a query by column A, then B or C (which one
    >     is smaller, both are of the same type and table but on different left
    >     joins) and then by D.
    >
    >     How can I do that?
    >
    >     Thanks in advance,
    >     Rodrigo.
    >
    >
    >     --
    >     Sent via pgsql-sql mailing list (pgsql-sql@postgresql.org
    >     <mailto:pgsql-sql@postgresql.org>)
    >     To make changes to your subscription:
    >     http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-sql
    >
    >
    
    
    
  5. Re: ORDER BY COLUMN_A, (COLUMN_B or COLUMN_C), COLUMN_D

    Rodrigo Rosenfeld Rosas <rr.rosas@gmail.com> — 2012-09-12T23:20:07Z

    Em 12-09-2012 19:34, Gavin Flower escreveu:
    > On 13/09/12 09:44, Rodrigo Rosenfeld Rosas wrote:
    >> This is my first message in this list :)
    >>
    >> I need to be able to sort a query by column A, then B or C (which one
    >> is smaller, both are of the same type and table but on different left
    >> joins) and then by D.
    >>
    >> How can I do that?
    >>
    >> Thanks in advance,
    >> Rodrigo.
    >>
    >>
    > ...
    > SELECT
    >     *
    > FROM
    >     tabc t
    > ORDER BY
    >     t.a,
    >     LEAST(t.b, t.c),
    >     t.d
    > ...
    
    Thank you Gavin, I was looking for this LEAST function for a long time. 
    I have tried MIN but it didn't work with strings.
    
    I guess this will allow me to do what I want. Thank you so much!
    
    Best,
    Rodrigo.
    
    
  6. Re: ORDER BY COLUMN_A, (COLUMN_B or COLUMN_C), COLUMN_D

    Craig Ringer <ringerc@ringerc.id.au> — 2012-09-17T04:52:46Z

    On 09/13/2012 07:20 AM, Rodrigo Rosenfeld Rosas wrote:
    
    > Thank you Gavin, I was looking for this LEAST function for a long time.
    > I have tried MIN but it didn't work with strings.
    
    In SQL, "MIN" is an aggregate function. It actually does work with 
    strings, but only when used as an aggregate:
    
    regress=# SELECT min(x.a) FROM ( VALUES ('blah'),('blah2'),('aaaa') ) x(a);
      min
    ------
      aaaa
    (1 row)
    
    --
    Craig Ringer