Re: way to custom sort column by fixed strings, then by field's content

On 02/03/2014 01:01 PM, Susan Cassidy wrote:
> description | description
> -------------------+-------------
> 18 cm long wrench | Scene 1
> absolute root |
> blue screwdriver | Scene 1
> red toolbox | Scene 1
> root 3 | Scene 1
> root 4 | Scene 2
> root 6 | Scene 3
> small wrench | Scene 1
> tire | Scene 2
>
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 3, 2014 at 11:14 AM, Adrian Klaver
> <adrian(dot)klaver(at)gmail(dot)com <mailto:adrian(dot)klaver(at)gmail(dot)com>> wrote:
>
> On 02/03/2014 10:53 AM, Susan Cassidy wrote:
>
> I have a column that contains items like
> 'absolute root'
> 'root 3'
> 'root 4'
> 'root 5'
> 'scene 1'
> 'scene 2'
> 'scene 3'
>
> and I would like them to sort in that order.
>
> I tried:
> select sti.description, sc.description from
> scene_thing_instances sti
> join scenes sc on sti.scene_id = sc.scene_id
> order by CASE sc.description
> when (sc.description = 'absolute root'::text) then 1
> when (sc.description ilike 'root%') then 2
> else 3
> END;
>
> I was starting with this, and was going to add perhaps another
> case
> statement.
>
> But it gives me:
> ERROR: operator does not exist: text = boolean
> LINE 3: when (sc.description = 'absolute
> root'::text) th...
> ^
> HINT: No operator matches the given name and argument
> type(s). You
> might need to add explicit type casts.
>
> I don't understand this because description is a text column, not
> boolean, and certainly 'absolute root'::text is a text string.
>
> This is 9.2.
>
> Ideas, anyone?
>
>
> select sti.description, sc.description from scene_thing_instances
> sti join scenes sc on sti.scene_id = sc.scene_id
> order by sc.description, CASE
> when (sc.description = 'absolute root'::text) then 1
> when (sc.description ilike 'root%') then 2
> else 3
> END;
>
>
> Thanks,
> Susan
>
>
>
> --
> Adrian Klaver
> adrian(dot)klaver(at)gmail(dot)com <mailto:adrian(dot)klaver(at)gmail(dot)com>
>
>
Sorry this is what I meant to post

select s.s1, s.s2, ( CASE
when (s.s1 = 'absolute root'::text) then 1
when (s.s1 ~* '^root*') then 2
else 3
END) as v
from scripts as s
order by v,s1

toys-# ;
s1 | s2 | v
-------------------+---------+---
absolute root | | 1
root 3 | Scene 1 | 2
root 4 | Scene 2 | 2
root 6 | Scene 3 | 2
18 cm long wrench | Scene 1 | 3
blue screwdriver | Scene 1 | 3
red toolbox | Scene 1 | 3
small wrench | Scene 1 | 3
tire | Scene 2 | 3
(9 rows)