Message-ID: <4C212BD8.5040102@fmed.uba.ar>
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:32:08 -0300
From: Gerardo Herzig <gherzig@fmed.uba.ar>
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To: Bryan White <nicktook@gmail.com>
CC: pgsql-sql@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: ORDER BY is case insensitive
References: <AANLkTimupyTgU-h-LKkV9VprzFopMMBKqsoO2RVpAzgL@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTimupyTgU-h-LKkV9VprzFopMMBKqsoO2RVpAzgL@mail.gmail.com>
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Bryan White wrote:
> I was suprised to find out that ORDER BY is case insensitive.  Is
> there a way to do a case sensitive ORDER BY clause?
> 
> This transcript demonstrates what I am seeing:
> 
> $ createdb bryan
> $ psql bryan
> psql (8.4.4)
> Type "help" for help.
> 
> bryan=# create table t (f text);
> CREATE TABLE
> bryan=# insert into t (f) values ('a');
> INSERT 0 1
> bryan=# insert into t (f) values ('b');
> INSERT 0 1
> bryan=# insert into t (f) values ('c');
> INSERT 0 1
> bryan=# insert into t (f) values ('B');
> INSERT 0 1
> bryan=# select * from t order by f;
>  f
> ---
>  a
>  b
>  B
>  c
> (4 rows)

Well. Im not really surprised. The column is text, so it sound
reasonable to order by its *text* representation. You may want to order
from its *ascii* value instead:

regression=# SELECT * from test order by ascii(data);
 data
------
 B
 a
 b
 c
(4 rows)

Or similar...Wich order are you expecting to see?

HTH
Gerardo