ORDER BY in Oracle - Examples & AI Generator

If you're writing queries in Oracle, remembering the exact ORDER BY syntax—especially when sorting complex data—can slow you down. Even small differences between SQL dialects add friction for analysts, engineers, and developers switching environments. AI2sql skips the memorization by turning natural-language prompts into optimized Oracle queries in seconds—no coding required.

ORDER BY Syntax in Oracle

The ORDER BY clause in Oracle sorts result sets by specified columns, either ascending (ASC, default) or descending (DESC). You can sort by one or multiple columns. Unlike some databases, Oracle allows positional column references and nulls placement. Here’s the basic syntax:

SELECT column1, column2
FROM table_name
ORDER BY column1 [ASC|DESC], column2 [ASC|DESC];

• ASC sorts values from lowest to highest (default)

• DESC sorts values from highest to lowest

• Use NULLS FIRST or NULLS LAST to control placement of nulls

ORDER BY Examples You Can Generate Instantly

1. Customer List Alphabetically

SELECT customer_id, customer_name
FROM customers
ORDER BY customer_name ASC;

2. Orders by Amount (Highest First)

SELECT order_id, total_amount
FROM orders
ORDER BY total_amount DESC;

3. Products by Category, then Price

SELECT product_id, category, price
FROM products
ORDER BY category ASC, price DESC;

• Use ORDER BY 2 to sort by the second column.

• Combine multiple columns for granular sorting.

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FAQ: ORDER BY in Oracle

Can I use ORDER BY with expressions in Oracle?

Yes. You can sort by expressions, computed columns, or use aliases in the ORDER BY clause.

How do I sort nulls in Oracle ORDER BY?

Use NULLS FIRST or NULLS LAST—e.g., ORDER BY amount DESC NULLS LAST.

Is ORDER BY required in an Oracle SELECT statement?

No, it's optional. Without it, row order is not guaranteed.

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