How Can I Sort A 'Version Number' Column Generically Using a SQL Server Query

Question

I wonder if the SQL geniuses amongst us could lend me a helping hand.

I have a column VersionNo in a table Versions that contains \'version

Answer 1

Depending on SQL engine for MySQL would be sth like this:

SELECT versionNo FROM Versions
ORDER BY
SUBSTRING_INDEX(versionNo, '.', 1) + 0,
SUBSTRING_INDEX(SUBSTRING_INDEX(versionNo, '.', -3), '.', 1) + 0,
SUBSTRING_INDEX(SUBSTRING_INDEX(versionNo, '.', -2), '.', 1) + 0,
SUBSTRING_INDEX(versionNo, '.', -1) + 0;

For MySQL version 3.23.15 an above

SELECT versionNo FROM Versions ORDER BY INET_ATON(ip);