MySQL union query, order by 2 variables

Question

Each table (table1 & table2) has its own DATETIME field.
I\'m trying to catch id\'s of the two tables and order them by their DATETIME field.

Example:

Answer 1

What you really need to do is to consider your schema more carefully. Consider naming the date time columns the same and then running a query like this - http://sqlfiddle.com/#!2/a3b4c/7/0

SELECT selection, id, datetimefoo, user FROM (
  SELECT 
    1 AS selection, 
    table1.id, table1.datetimefoo, 
    table3.user 
    FROM table1 
    LEFT OUTER JOIN table2 
    ON table1.id = table2.table1id
    LEFT OUTER JOIN table3
    ON table1.id = table3.id


  UNION

  SELECT 
    2 AS selection, 
    table1.id, table1.datetimefoo, 
    table3.user 
    FROM table1 
    INNER JOIN table2 
    ON table1.id = table2.table1id
    INNER JOIN table3
    ON table1.id = table3.id

  ) AS T2
ORDER BY datetimefoo DESC

In the SQL fiddle this produces the results closer to what you're looking for. I am still not sure why you need the INNER JOINS on the second query though - there is nothing that you're doing here whcih requires them.

Here is another method that does not require a changing of the column names, but requires an alias for the sortable columns - http://sqlfiddle.com/#!2/ec4bc/3/0

SELECT * FROM (
  SELECT 
    1 AS selection, 
    table1.id, table1.datetimefoo AS sort_date, -- alias on first table's date
    table2.datetimebar,
    table3.user 
    FROM table1 
    LEFT OUTER JOIN table2 
    ON table1.id = table2.table1id
    LEFT OUTER JOIN table3
    ON table1.id = table3.id


  UNION

  SELECT 
    2 AS selection, 
    table1.id, table1.datetimefoo,
    table2.datetimebar AS sort_date, -- alias on second table's date
    table3.user 
    FROM table1 
    INNER JOIN table2 
    ON table1.id = table2.table1id
    INNER JOIN table3
    ON table1.id = table3.id

  ) AS T2
ORDER BY sort_date DESC