How to sort numeric values in string in SQL Server - sql

Question

Input string -
'0|33|6|2|30|12|4|1|8|29|9|34|7|13|11|5|3|31|10|36|37|37|37|38|39|40|44|65|66'
Output string -
'0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|29|30|31|33|34|36|37|37|37|38|39|40|44|65|66'
Need this in SQL Server 2008.
I have splitted the value on | and then inserted the values into temp table and then concatenated value. Is there any better approarch?

Answer 1

Without a Parse/Split function
Declare #String varchar(max) = '0|33|6|2|30|12|4|1|8|29|9|34|7|13|11|5|3|31|10|36|37|37|37|38|39|40|44|65|66'
Select Sorted = Stuff((Select '|' +RetVal
From (
Select RetSeq = Row_Number() over (Order By (Select null))
,RetVal = LTrim(RTrim(B.i.value('(./text())[1]', 'varchar(max)')))
From (Select x = Cast('<x>'+ replace((Select #String as [*] For XML Path('')),'|','</x><x>')+'</x>' as xml).query('.')) as A
Cross Apply x.nodes('x') AS B(i)
) A
Order By cast(RetVal as int)
For XML Path ('')),1,1,'')
With a Parse/Split function'
Declare #String varchar(max) = '0|33|6|2|30|12|4|1|8|29|9|34|7|13|11|5|3|31|10|36|37|37|37|38|39|40|44|65|66'
Select Sorted = Stuff((Select '|' +RetVal
From [dbo].[udf-Str-Parse-8K](#String,'|')
Order By cast(RetVal as int)
For XML Path ('')),1,1,'')
Both Return
0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|29|30|31|33|34|36|37|37|37|38|39|40|44|65|66
The UDF if needed
CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[udf-Str-Parse-8K] (#String varchar(max),#Delimiter varchar(25))
Returns Table
As
Return (
with cte1(N) As (Select 1 From (Values(1),(1),(1),(1),(1),(1),(1),(1),(1),(1)) N(N)),
cte2(N) As (Select Top (IsNull(DataLength(#String),0)) Row_Number() over (Order By (Select NULL)) From (Select N=1 From cte1 a,cte1 b,cte1 c,cte1 d) A ),
cte3(N) As (Select 1 Union All Select t.N+DataLength(#Delimiter) From cte2 t Where Substring(#String,t.N,DataLength(#Delimiter)) = #Delimiter),
cte4(N,L) As (Select S.N,IsNull(NullIf(CharIndex(#Delimiter,#String,s.N),0)-S.N,8000) From cte3 S)
Select RetSeq = Row_Number() over (Order By A.N)
,RetVal = LTrim(RTrim(Substring(#String, A.N, A.L)))
From cte4 A
);
--Orginal Source http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Tally+Table/72993/
--Much faster than str-Parse, but limited to 8K
--Select * from [dbo].[udf-Str-Parse-8K]('Dog,Cat,House,Car',',')
--Select * from [dbo].[udf-Str-Parse-8K]('John||Cappelletti||was||here','||')

Answer 2

declare #str varchar(100) =
'0|33|6|2|30|12|4|1|8|29|9|34|7|13|11|5|3|31|10|36|37|37|37|38|39|40|44|65|66';
declare #s varchar(100) = '|' + #str + '|';
declare #result varchar(100);
with D(d) as
(
select v from (values (0),(1),(2),(3),(4),(5),(6),(7),(8),(9)) V(v)
),
N(n) as
(
select top (len(#s) - 1)
row_number() over (order by (select 1)) from D d1, D d2
),
S(s) as
(
select substring(#s, n + 1, charindex('|', #s, n + 1) - (n + 1))
from N where substring(#s, n, 1) = '|'
)
select top (100) #result = isnull(#result + '|', '') + s
from S order by cast(s as int);
print #result;