How do you sort a tree stored using the nested set model?

Question

When I refer to nested set model I mean what is described here.

I need to build a new system for storing \"categories\" (I can\'t think of better word for it) in a user

Answer 1

I have just finished writing the following which works for me in sorting an entire nested set tree.

The sort (ideally) requires a view that lists the current level of each node in the tree and a procedure for swapping two nodes - both are included below, the sibling swap code comes from Joe Celkos ' Tree & Hierarchies' book which I strongly recommend to anyone using nested sets.

The sort can be altered in the 'INSERT INTO @t' statement, here it is a simple alphanumeric sort on 'Name'

This may be a poor way of doing it especially using the cursor for set based code but as I say it works for me, hope it helps.

UPDATE:

Code below now shows version without using cusor. I see about 10x speed improvements

CREATE VIEW dbo.tree_view

AS

SELECT t2.NodeID,t2.lft,t2.rgt ,t2.Name, COUNT(t1.NodeID) AS level  
FROM dbo.tree t1,dbo.tree t2
WHERE t2.lft BETWEEN t1.lft AND t1.rgt
GROUP BY t2.NodeID,t2.lft,t2.rgt,t2.Name

GO

----------------------------------------------

  DECLARE @CurrentNodeID int
DECLARE @CurrentActualOrder int
DECLARE @CurrentRequiredOrder int
DECLARE @DestinationNodeID int
DECLARE @i0 int
DECLARE @i1 int
DECLARE @i2 int
DECLARE @i3 int

DECLARE @t TABLE (TopLft int,NodeID int NOT NULL,lft int NOT NULL,rgt int NOT NULL,Name varchar(50),RequiredOrder int NOT NULL,ActualOrder int NOT NULL)


INSERT INTO @t (toplft,NodeID,lft,rgt,Name,RequiredOrder,ActualOrder)
    SELECT tv2.lft,tv1.NodeID,tv1.lft,tv1.rgt,tv1.Name,ROW_NUMBER() OVER(PARTITION BY tv2.lft ORDER BY tv1.ColumnToSort),ROW_NUMBER() OVER(PARTITION BY tv2.lft ORDER BY tv1.lft ASC)
    FROM dbo.tree_view tv1 
    LEFT OUTER JOIN dbo.tree_view tv2 ON tv1.lft > tv2.lft and tv1.lft < tv2.rgt and tv1.level = tv2.level+1
    WHERE tv2.rgt > tv2.lft+1

    DELETE FROM @t where ActualOrder = RequiredOrder


WHILE EXISTS(SELECT * FROM @t WHERE ActualOrder <> RequiredOrder)
BEGIN


    SELECT Top 1 @CurrentNodeID = NodeID,@CurrentActualOrder = ActualOrder,@CurrentRequiredOrder = RequiredOrder
    FROM @t 
    WHERE ActualOrder <> RequiredOrder
    ORDER BY toplft,requiredorder

    SELECT @DestinationNodeID = NodeID
    FROM @t WHERE ActualOrder = @CurrentRequiredOrder AND TopLft = (SELECT TopLft FROM @t WHERE NodeID = @CurrentNodeID) 

    SELECT @i0 = CASE WHEN c.lft < d.lft THEN c.lft ELSE d.lft END,
            @i1 =  CASE WHEN c.lft < d.lft THEN c.rgt ELSE d.rgt END,
            @i2 =  CASE WHEN c.lft < d.lft THEN d.lft ELSE c.lft END,
            @i3 =  CASE WHEN c.lft < d.lft THEN d.rgt ELSE c.rgt END
    FROM dbo.tree c
    CROSS JOIN dbo.tree d
    WHERE c.NodeID = @CurrentNodeID AND d.NodeID = @DestinationNodeID

    UPDATE dbo.tree
    SET lft = CASE  WHEN lft BETWEEN @i0 AND @i1 THEN @i3 + lft - @i1
                    WHEN lft BETWEEN @i2 AND @i3 THEN @i0 + lft - @i2
            ELSE @i0 + @i3 + lft - @i1 - @i2
            END,
        rgt = CASE  WHEN rgt BETWEEN @i0 AND @i1 THEN @i3 + rgt - @i1
                    WHEN rgt BETWEEN @i2 AND @i3 THEN @i0 + rgt - @i2
            ELSE @i0 + @i3 + rgt - @i1 - @i2
            END
    WHERE lft BETWEEN @i0 AND @i3 
    AND @i0 < @i1
    AND @i1 < @i2
    AND @i2 < @i3

    UPDATE @t SET actualorder = @CurrentRequiredOrder where NodeID = @CurrentNodeID
    UPDATE @t SET actualorder = @CurrentActualOrder where NodeID = @DestinationNodeID

    DELETE FROM @t where ActualOrder = RequiredOrder

END