You can specify the sort conditions that determine the
order that the rows are returned in the query results.
About this task
Use the Sort Conditions dialog to
specify the sort conditions that will apply to the query results.
The Sort Conditions dialog is used when building
a query using the Prompted Query editor. Rows
can be sorted in ascending (A-Z) or descending (Z-A) order. If you
sort query results rows by more than one column, the first column
is ordered first, then the second column is ordered within the sort
order defined for the first column.
To specify the sort conditions
for the query results:
Procedure
- Open the Sort Conditions window
by clicking the Add Sort Condition button in
the Sort conditions pane of the Prompted
Query editor.
- Specify the columns that will be used to sort
the query results in one of the following ways:
- Select one or more columns from the Columns in the
result set list. The Columns in the result
set lists the columns that are included in the query results.
You can select one or more columns if you are adding a sort condition.
You can select only one column if you are changing a sort condition.
- Specify a conditional expression in the Or, enter a
condition here field. Click the ellipsis (...) to open
an expression builder that will help you build the conditional expression.
The expression builder offers a palette of common elements used to
create SQL expressions, such as column names, constants, functions,
and operators. When you click the expression builder buttons, templates
for expression elements are inserted into the expression fields.
- Specify the sort direction.
Click Ascending to
specify that the query results will be sorted in ascending (lowest-to-highest)
order.
Click Descending to specify that
the query results will be sorted in descending (highest-to-lowest)
order.
The first column is used for the primary sort; subsequent
columns will sort within the first.
- Click Add to add the sort condition
to the query results.
If you are changing a sort condition,
click Change.
Repeat this process for
each column that you want included in the sort conditions.
When
you have finished selecting the columns that will be included in the
sort conditions, click Close. The Sort
Conditions window closes.