I have the following test-case:

CREATE TABLE test(
name varchar PRIMARY KEY,
value varchar NOT NULL,
created timestamp not null
);

create index test_lowernamevalue_idx ON test ((lower(name) || lower(value)));
create index test_lowernamevaluecreated_idx ON test ((lower(name) || 
lower(value)), created);

andreak=# EXPLAIN ANALYZE select * from test order by lower(name) || 
lower(value) ASC, created ASC;
                                                               QUERY PLAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Index Scan using test_lowernamevaluecreated_idx on test  (cost=0.00..61.58 
rows=770 width=72) (actual time=0.013..0.013 rows=0 loops=1)
 Total runtime: 0.127 ms
(2 rows)

andreak=# EXPLAIN ANALYZE select * from test order by lower(name) || 
lower(value) ASC, created DESC;
                                               QUERY PLAN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Sort  (cost=60.39..62.32 rows=770 width=72) (actual time=0.034..0.034 rows=0 
loops=1)
   Sort Key: (lower((name)::text) || lower((value)::text)), created
   ->  Seq Scan on test  (cost=0.00..23.47 rows=770 width=72) (actual 
time=0.004..0.004 rows=0 loops=1)
 Total runtime: 0.123 ms
(4 rows)

As the EXPLAIN-output shows, the index is not used when sort-ordering differs 
in the two order-by-columns.
Is there a way I can have multiple columns in the ORDER BY clause, each with 
different ASC/DESC-order and still use an index to speed up sorting?

In my application I often have a need to sort by more than 3 columns, so I'm 
really wondering if there is a way to make sorting of multiple columsn (each 
which may have different sort-order) use an index? Preferrably without having 
to create 2^N indexes.

-- 
Andreas Joseph Krogh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Senior Software Developer / Manager
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