mySQL: Problem using UNION with SORT BY

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mySQL: Problem using UNION with SORT BY

joecap5

5:11 am on Oct 4, 2010 (gmt 0)

I'm trying to get this query to work:

(SELECT A, B, D
FROM table1
UNION ALL
SELECT A, B, C
FROM table2)
SORT BY B

I get an error though.

It works when I take the SORT BY out:

SELECT A, B, D
FROM table1
UNION ALL
SELECT A, B, C
FROM table2

but I want the query results sorted.

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

yaix2

8:42 am on Oct 4, 2010 (gmt 0)

Isn't it "ORDER BY x DESC|ASC"?

LifeinAsia

3:46 pm on Oct 4, 2010 (gmt 0)

Weclome [webmasterworld.com] to WebmasterWorld!

Your parens are causing the error. Try:
SELECT A, B, D
FROM table1
UNION ALL
SELECT A, B, C
FROM table2
SORT BY B

joecap5

12:42 am on Oct 5, 2010 (gmt 0)

You're both right!
It is ORDER BY.
I thought the parentheses were the right thing to do though.
Can parentheses ever be used?

Thanks

enigma1

3:31 pm on Oct 5, 2010 (gmt 0)

Can parentheses ever be used?

They could to define precedence for various operations but not to enclose the whole query

eg:
select a,b,c from table where a=1 and (b=2 or b=3)

LifeinAsia

4:10 pm on Oct 5, 2010 (gmt 0)

Can parentheses ever be used?

They can also be used to form an entity:
SELECT *
FROM MyTable
WHERE ID=(SELECT Max(ID) FROM MyTable2)