mysql sorting of version numbers

Question

I have values like:

1.1.2 
9.1 
2.2
4
1.2.3.4
3.2.14
3.2.1.4.2
.....

I need to sort those values using mysql. The data type for this one is

Answer 1

If you'd like to support versions like 1.1-beta or using old MySql versions without INTE_ATON, you can get the same sort by splitting the version and sorting each part as an integer and string:

SELECT
    version,
    REPLACE(SUBSTRING(SUBSTRING_INDEX(version, '.', 1), LENGTH(SUBSTRING_INDEX(version, '.', 1 - 1)) + 1), '.', '') v1,
    REPLACE(SUBSTRING(SUBSTRING_INDEX(version, '.', 2), LENGTH(SUBSTRING_INDEX(version, '.', 2 - 1)) + 1), '.', '') v2,
    REPLACE(SUBSTRING(SUBSTRING_INDEX(version, '.', 3), LENGTH(SUBSTRING_INDEX(version, '.', 3 - 1)) + 1), '.', '') v3,
    REPLACE(SUBSTRING(SUBSTRING_INDEX(version, '.', 4), LENGTH(SUBSTRING_INDEX(version, '.', 4 - 1)) + 1), '.', '') v4
FROM 
    versions_table
ORDER BY
    0+v1, v1 DESC, 0+v2, v2 DESC, 0+v3, v3 DESC, 0+v4, v4 DESC;