ORDER BY

Sorting

Sorts the result set by one or more columns in ascending (ASC) or descending (DESC) order.

Syntax

SELECT cols FROM table ORDER BY col [ASC|DESC]

Example

SELECT name, price
FROM products
ORDER BY price DESC, name ASC;

About SQL ORDER BY

The ORDER BY keyword belongs to the Sorting category of SQL statements. Sorts the result set by one or more columns in ascending (ASC) or descending (DESC) order. Understanding this command is essential for any developer working with relational databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, or SQL Server.

SQL (Structured Query Language) is the standard language for managing and querying relational databases. The ORDER BY statement is supported across all major database systems, though specific syntax may vary slightly between PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle, SQL Server, and SQLite. Always consult your database's documentation for vendor-specific features and limitations.

Best practices for using ORDER BY: always test queries on a development database before running them in production, use parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection, and leverage EXPLAIN to understand query performance. For complex queries, consider using CTEs (Common Table Expressions) to improve readability and maintainability.

Related SQL Keywords

SELECT LIMIT ASC DESC