> 1. select lname, fname from members
> order by upper(lname) ..... works
>
> 2. select lname, fname from members
> order by 1 ..... works

Hans,

I am not sure about this. I mean it depends on how you define "works"
I suppose. It "works" in the sense that it returns the results, but
these two queries will not necessarily use result in the same ordering.

> 3. select lname, fname from members
> order by upper(1) ..... doesn't work
>

This could be a bug, but it is also ambiguous. Does it mean 1 as in
the first record, or does it mean some particular constant value.

Upper(1) = 1 after all, so my guess is you are receiving the records
in the order they are stored.

For the moment you will have to either quote the field (as in 1) or
use the upper in the select.

4. select upper(lname), fname from members
order by 1

Adam