Changing Order Of Results (Union)

Question

Hi All,
This simple query;
SELECT DISTINCT client_id FROM order_header
UNION
SELECT '1Forza WIP' FROM dual
UNION
SELECT 'Total' FROM dualReturns this data;
CLIENT ID
1Forza WIP
DAIRNUNEAT
FORZCLECKH
GBI-FELIXS
GU-LONDON
NOM-TELFOR
PLUMALRESF
PURECORBY
RIVELONDON
TRADNORFOL
TSC-SCUNTH
Total
YOPLPARISIs there anything I can do with order by (or another function) to change the results to look like this;
CLIENT ID
1Forza WIP
DAIRNUNEAT
FORZCLECKH
GBI-FELIXS
GU-LONDON
NOM-TELFOR
PLUMALRESF
PURECORBY
RIVELONDON
TRADNORFOL
TSC-SCUNTH
YOPLPARIS
TotalNotice 'Total' is now displayed last.
Thanks in advance.
SM.

Answer 1

Hi,
Given that you know the value that has to be last:
ORDER BY  NULLIF (client_id, 'Total')     NULLS LASTA more general solution is to add a column to be used for sorting:
SELECT DISTINCT client_id
,                0     AS sort_col
FROM          order_header
    UNION
SELECT      '1Forza WIP'     AS client_id
,     2          AS sort_col
FROM     dual
    UNION
SELECT  'Total'          AS client_id
,     3          AS
FROM     dual
ORDER BY  sort_col
,            client_id
;If you don't want to display the extra column, see if you can tell your front-end tool not to display it.
In SQL*Plus, for example, you could say
COLUMN  sort_col   NOPRINTIf you can't do that, then compute the sort key in a sub-query, and don't include it in the main SELECT clause:
WITH  got_sort_col          AS
     SELECT DISTINCT client_id
     ,                0     AS sort_col
     FROM          order_header
         UNION
     SELECT      '1Forza WIP'     AS client_id
     ,     2          AS sort_col
     FROM     dual
         UNION
     SELECT  'Total'          AS client_id
     ,     3          AS
     FROM     dual
SELECT       client_id
FROM       got_sort_col
ORDER BY  sort_col
,            client_id
;Edited by: Frank Kulash on Mar 16, 2010 10:21 AM