Postgresql sorting mixed alphanumeric data

Question

Running this query:

select name from folders order by name

returns these results:

alphanumeric
a test
test 20
test 19
test          


        

Answer 1

select * from "public"."directory" where "directoryId" = 17888 order by
COALESCE(SUBSTRING("name" FROM '^(\d+)')::INTEGER, 99999999),
SUBSTRING("name" FROM '[a-zA-z_-]+'),
COALESCE(SUBSTRING("name" FROM '(\d+)$')::INTEGER, 0),
"name";

NOTE: Escape the regex as you need, in some languages, you will have to add one more "\".

In my Postgres DB, name column contains following, when I use simple order by name query:

• 1
• 10
• 2
• 21
• A
• A1
• A11
• A5
• B
• B2
• B22
• B3
• M 1
• M 11
• M 2

Result of Query, After I have modified it:

• 1
• 2
• 10
• 21
• A
• A1
• A5
• A11
• B
• B2
• B3
• B22
• M 1
• M 2
• M 11