Well that's the catch. My friend seems to want to have a "sort" column, without actually having a sort column.
It sounds like he wants something that would maintain itself, but I don't really know if that's possible. <!----------------//------ andy matthews web developer ICGLink, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 615.370.1530 x737 --------------//---------> -----Original Message----- From: Ken Ferguson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 10:53 AM To: CF-Talk Subject: Re: Ranking SQL records Do you mean you'd like to sort on a column such as business_title in a non-alpha sort? eg, CEO, CIO, VP-Sales, VP-Ops, Mail Clerk, Janitor, Doorman (in that order even though a normal order by clause won't give you that?) Is that what you're saying and if it is, do you know the list and the order in which you want them beforehand? --Ferg Michael Traher wrote: > well a sort has to be based on some attribute of each record, either a > number you assign as in your example of seniority ( a number could be > assigned to job titles or maybe have a grade column) or as in your second > example of photos being added to a gallery it could be on an existing > column. For the photos what order do you want? could be chronological - > date_added column or by the title of the photo perhaps? > > unless I miss the point entirely (which is quite possible :-) you have to > decide the order and based it on one of the columns in the table. > > On 3/1/06, Andy Matthews <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Asking this question for a friend... >> ----------------------------------- >> I'm looking for a good way to pull entries from a database based on "rank" >> (an arbitrary sort order). >> >> For example: A business' staff directory listed by seniority or position >> (CEO at top) rather than default or alphabetical sort >> OR: rearranging the display order of photos in a gallery >> etc. >> >> I know I could add a field called 'sort' and assign a numerical value to >> that field. But redefining the order could require modifying that field on >> many records (especially in a photo gallery, where photos are being added >> and removed). And if you wanted to add one between '5' and '6' you would >> have to use something like '5.5' (then '5.7' to insert one between '5.5' >> and >> '6') which could also get ugly. >> >> There has to be a 'professional' simple solution to this, since it seems >> like a very commonplace requirement. >> ------------------------------- >> >> > > -- > Mike T > Blog http://www.socialpoints.com/ > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:233771 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
