Sorting w/Primary Key

  • Thread starter Thread starter Scott
  • Start date Start date
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Scott

I have sorted column 10 then column 11. I then want to
add a primary key after it is sorted. When I do, it
screws up the sort that I did. Is there any way to keep
this from happening?

Scotty
 
In a database, Sorting does not physically change the order of the records
stored. There IS no intrinsic order to records in a table. Sorting only
DISPLAYS them in a given order. So the Primary Key has nothing whatsoever
to do with Sorting. It is used for uniqueness and linking records to other
tables in a Join. That's it.
 
I have sorted column 10 then column 11. I then want to
add a primary key after it is sorted. When I do, it
screws up the sort that I did. Is there any way to keep
this from happening?

Scotty
Click to expand...

Roger's right (and my previous post was right if you're the same
person).

If you want sorted data, use a Query. End of story. Tables ARE NOT
SORTED.
 
Okay, so how would I use a query to sort column N and
column M, without changing the order of the ID field that
is the primary key, and extract only items based on
a "between # and #" criteria? I guess that is the
question I am trying to ask. Sorry. I am a little new
at this...
 
Okay, so how would I use a query to sort column N and
column M, without changing the order of the ID field that
is the primary key, and extract only items based on
a "between # and #" criteria? I guess that is the
question I am trying to ask. Sorry. I am a little new
at this...
Click to expand...

It is not necessary to *sort* records in order to *select* records.
They are quite different and independent operations.

Create a Query based on your table. Put on the Criteria line

BETWEEN 1 AND 50000

on the field that you want to use as the key for extraction.

Put Ascending on the Sort row for N and for M.

You'll then get 50000 (or fewer, if there are gaps) records with the
specified range of values on the first field; those 50000 records will
be sorted in order of ascending N, and within each value of N, by
ascending M.
 
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