Thanks for the quick reply.

I was just using an example. My code is a different select. This was done for ease. Thus i also didn't fill in the date as I just wanted to show that the ID is the same for ALL dates BUT the Tag might change on any given date. Obviously a select would return the date field too.

What i want is to sort by the Tag of the most recent date; THEN had all the other same ID of that Tag below it, sorted as well.

even though this is one table, it can be though of as a master-detail

master sort is by tag of the most recent
each of those IDs is subsorted

i might be phrasing it weird but

order by

tag ( where date is most recent)

group by
ID


phrased another way:

i want the IDs together or grouped

i want the IDs sorted by the Tag of the most recent one.

hth's
thanks
kelly

--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, "Leyne, Sean" wrote:
>
> Kelly,
>
> > always a great place to get help!!
> >
> > here's what i have data wise:
> >
> > Tag ID Date
> >
> > ABC 11 2012
> > DEF 11 2011
> > GHJ 11 2010
> > HHH 22 2012
> > ZZZ 22 2011
> > AAA 22 2010
> > AAK 33 2012
> > AAD 44 2012
> > YYY 44 2010
>
> >
> > My desire is to still keep the "groups" of ID together
> >
> > i'd LIKE
> >
> > AAA 22
> > HHH 22
> > ZZZ 22
> > AAD 44
> > YYY 44
> > AAK 33
> > ABC 11
> > DEF 11
> > GHJ 11
> >
> > but
> > select * order by tag, date group by ID doesn't work
>
> First, your expected output and your SELECT don't align. Where is the Date column?
>
> Second, stop using SELECT * very bad habit. Ok, for debugging/testing, bad for production.
>
>
> > NOTE i do NOT want to sort by ID. I just want the list sorted by Tag,
> > subsorted by date. BUT I want all the IDs together because the Tag might
> > change from date to date for ID
>
> Your post/requirements are contradictory:
>
> - "My desire is to still keep the "groups" of ID together"
>
> - "NOTE i do NOT want to sort by ID"
>
> If you want them "together", they need to be sorted
>
>
> - "I just want the list sorted by Tag, subsorted by date."
>
> Which is it, do you want the ID together or the Tags by date?
>
>
> Sean
>