Sort a text aggregate created with array_agg in postgresql

Question

I have a table in postgresql. The following table \"animals\" will do to explain my problem:

name
------
tiger
cat
dog

Now I am using the follo

Answer 1

This will be available in PostgreSQL 9.0:

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.0/static/release-9-0.html, Section E.1.3.6.1. Aggregates

In the meantime, you could do something like this which may solve the problem (albeit clunky):

SELECT array_agg(animal_name)
FROM (
    SELECT "name" AS animal_name
    FROM animals
    ORDER BY "name"
) AS sorted_animals;