Sort Bullets in Database

Question

I have a column [datatype:varchar(50)] in database (SQL Server 2008) having Values as shown below:

1
2
1.1.11
4.1
5
2.1
1.1
4
1.2.1
4.2.2
4.3
4.         


        

Answer 1

WITH T(YourColumn) AS
(
SELECT '1' UNION ALL
SELECT '2' UNION ALL
SELECT '1.1.11' UNION ALL
SELECT '4.1' UNION ALL
SELECT '5' UNION ALL
SELECT '2.1' UNION ALL
SELECT '1.1' UNION ALL
SELECT '4' UNION ALL
SELECT '1.2.1' UNION ALL
SELECT '4.2.2' UNION ALL
SELECT '4.3' UNION ALL
SELECT '4.2' UNION ALL
SELECT '4.3.1' UNION ALL
SELECT '4.2.1' UNION ALL
SELECT '11.2' UNION ALL
SELECT '1.2.4' UNION ALL
SELECT '4.4'
)
SELECT *
FROM T 
ORDER BY CAST('/' + YourColumn + '/' AS HIERARCHYID)

Returns

YourColumn
----------
1
1.1
1.1.11
1.2.1
1.2.4
2
2.1
4
4.1
4.2
4.2.1
4.2.2
4.3
4.3.1
4.4
5
11.2

Is that what you need?