Result of Max() function for the varchar datatype in SQL

• saranram_forum

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  November 16, 2009 at 4:35 am

  #139447

  Hi,

  What is result of the query if i use max function for the field which datatype is varchar

  Ex:

  Select Max(sname) from Student

• SwePeso

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  November 16, 2009 at 4:57 am

  #1079601

  You will get the student with last character of your alphabet, probably Z.

  Zanzibar is MAX over Sweden. It's the way they are sorted.

  ---

  N 56°04'39.16"
  E 12°55'05.25"

• savee

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  November 16, 2009 at 4:57 am

  #1079602

  hi

  its simply returns the last sname in alphabetical order....

  Its something similar to

  select top 1 sname from students order by sname desc

• LutzM

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  November 16, 2009 at 1:12 pm

  #1079888

  To be a little more specific:

  to find the max sname is like searching for the largest ASCII value of the first position of sname, continues moving to the right for ties.

  SELECT max(sname) from(

  select char(8) + 'Zanzibar' AS sname UNION ALL

  select 'Zanzibar' UNION ALL

  select 'zanzibar' UNION ALL

  select ' Zanzibar' UNION ALL

  select '_Zanzibar' UNION ALL

  select '1Zanzibar' UNION ALL

  select '9anzibar' UNION ALL

  select '~anzibar') t

  ---

  
  Lutz
  A pessimist is an optimist with experience.

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• Paul White

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  November 16, 2009 at 6:51 pm

  #1079994

  The sorting order is defined by the collation used.

  See Working With Collations

  Paul White
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  @SQL_Kiwi