SQL ORDER BY Clause

The ORDER BY clause in SQL sorts the result set of a query. You can sort in ascending (ASC) or descending (DESC) order.

ORDER BY: Definition and Usage

ORDER BY is essential for presenting data in a clear, organized way. It arranges the rows of your query's output according to the values in one or more columns. By default, ORDER BY sorts in ascending order.

Default Sort Order (Ascending)

If you don't specify ASC or DESC, the sorting is ascending by default (for numbers: smallest to largest; for text: A to Z).

SELECT * FROM Customers
ORDER BY CustomerName;  -- Ascending (default)
      

(Customers will be listed alphabetically by CustomerName from A to Z)
      

Sorting in Ascending Order (Explicit)

Explicitly specifying ascending order using the ASC keyword.

SELECT * FROM Customers
ORDER BY CustomerName ASC;
      

(Customers will be listed alphabetically by CustomerName from A to Z)
      

Sorting in Descending Order

Specifying descending order using the DESC keyword (for numbers: largest to smallest; for text: Z to A).

SELECT * FROM Customers
ORDER BY CustomerName DESC;
      

(Customers will be listed alphabetically by CustomerName from Z to A)