Understanding Multi-Column Sorting
Multi-column sorting refers to arranging the data rows where the values of two or more columns determine the sorting. It becomes especially helpful in such cases when we want to sort data based on some criteria.
As an example, when we are working on customer database data we can sort customers first by country and then by last name
Syntax for Multi-Column Sorting:
In SQL Server, multi-column sorting is achieved by specifying multiple columns in the ORDER BY clause. The syntax is straightforward:
SELECT column1, column2, ...
FROM table_name
ORDER BY column1, column2, ...;
Each column in the ORDER BY clause defines a level of sorting. Data is sorted based on the first column specified, and in case of ties, the subsequent columns are used to further refine the order.
How to Sorting Data According to More Than One Column in SQL Server
Sorting data is the basic operation of a database environment. There is the SQL Server which is one of the most common relational database management systems that has a very powerful sorting function based on one or more columns. Though sorting within one column is straightforward, sorting data according to multiple columns and managing a proper approach becomes a complex task.
In this article, we discuss the complexities associated with grouping data by multiple columns in SQL Server using different approaches and effective techniques.