Query database fields are the same character but not in the same order

Question

Hello Oracle WIZ !
I have a simple question regarding perhaps a function.
I have a columns in a database with data the could have been transpose meaning the keyer might have entered. 1234 and someone else could have come in and put 2134.
the characters are the same but the numbers are in a different order. Is there any function that would allow me to query just based on characters? hence bringing back the 1234 and 2134 rows?
Hope this makes sense
Thanks
all

Answer 1

Hi,
You can use CONNECT BY to re-arrange the characters in a string in ascending order, then use that value to compare strings.
For example, in the following sample data:
CREATE TABLE     table_x
AS
SELECT     1 AS id,     '1234' AS txt     FROM dual     UNION ALL
SELECT     2,          '4231'          FROM dual     UNION ALL
SELECT     3,          '433'          FROM dual     UNION ALL
SELECT     4,          '343'          FROM dual     UNION ALL
SELECT     5,          '431'          FROM dual     UNION ALL
SELECT     9,          NULL          FROM dual
;ids 1 and 2 both have txt consisting of '1', '2', '3' and '4'.
ids 4 and 5 both have txt consisting of '3', '3' and '4'.
There are no other matches.
This query finds those pairs:
WITH     cntr     AS
     SELECT     LEVEL     AS n
     FROM     dual
     CONNECT BY     LEVEL <= ( SELECT  MAX (LENGTH (txt))
                       FROM        table_x
,     got_ordered_txt     AS
     SELECT     x.id
     ,     x.txt
     ,     MIN (SYS_CONNECT_BY_PATH (SUBSTR (x.txt, c.n, 1), ','))     AS ordered_txt
     FROM     table_x     x
     JOIN     cntr     c     ON     c.n     <= LENGTH (x.txt)
     WHERE     LEVEL     = LENGTH (x.txt)
     CONNECT BY NOCYCLE     x.id     = PRIOR x.id
          AND          c.n     != PRIOR c.n
     GROUP BY     x.id
     ,          x.txt
SELECT     a.id
,     a.txt
,     b.txt
,     b.id
FROM     got_ordered_txt     a
JOIN     got_ordered_txt     b     ON     a.id          < b.id
                    AND     a.ordered_txt     = b.ordered_txt
;Output:
.       ID TXT  TXT          ID                                                
         3 433  343           4                                                
         1 1234 4231          2