Execute the following 2 queries and find out what will happen if we specify two columns in the ORDER BY clause:
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE ORDER BY Salary, Bonus;
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE ORDER BY Salary,Bonus DESC;

Question

Accepted Answer

> [!TLDR]
> A second `ORDER BY` column is only a **tie-breaker**: it decides the order of rows that are equal on the first column. Table 9.8's `Salary` values are all distinct, so on the real data both queries return exactly the same row order — the difference between `Bonus` and `Bonus DESC` never actually shows up.

## Why a second sort column matters — in general

`ORDER BY` sorts by its first column. If two rows tie on that column, their relative order would otherwise be undefined — a second column resolves that tie.

```sql
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE ORDER BY Salary, Bonus;       -- Query 1
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE ORDER BY Salary, Bonus DESC;   -- Query 2
```

Both sort primarily by `Salary` ascending. Query 1 breaks ties with `Bonus` ascending; Query 2 breaks ties with `Bonus` descending. `DESC` applies only to `Bonus`, not to `Salary`.

## Running both queries on Table 9.8

| Salary | 10000 | 15000 | 19000 | 29000 | 34000 | 42000 | 45000 | 48000 | 50000 | 60000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ename | Aaliya | Vergese | Gurpreet | Nachaobi | Joseph | Daribha | Shabbir | Sanya | Tanya | Kritika |

Every salary in Table 9.8 is unique — there is no row with the same `Salary` as another. That means the tie-breaking rule (`Bonus` vs `Bonus DESC`) is **never invoked** on this data: with nothing to tie-break, the sort is decided entirely by `Salary`, and both queries return:

```
101 Aaliya   10000
107 Vergese  15000
104 Gurpreet 19000
108 Nachaobi 29000
105 Joseph   34000
109 Daribha  42000
103 Shabbir  45000
106 Sanya    48000
110 Tanya    50000
102 Kritika  60000
```

identically, for both queries. …

A	B	A AND B	A OR B	NOT A
True	True	True	True	False
True	False	False	True	False
False	True	False	True	True
False	False	False	False	True

Q.Execute the following 2 queries and find out what will happen if we specify two columns in the ORDER BY clause:
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE ORDER BY Salary, Bonus;
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE ORDER BY Salary,Bonus DESC;

Concept understanding — Boolean Logic Operators

Boolean Logic Operators: The Grammar of True and False

The Three Fundamental Operators

Truth Tables: The Complete Picture

Why This Matters

Why a second sort column matters — in general

Running both queries on Table 9.8

EmpNo	Ename	Salary
101	Aaliya	10000
107	Vergese	15000
104	Gurpreet	19000
108	Nachaobi	29000
105	Joseph	34000
109	Daribha	42000
103	Shabbir	45000
106	Sanya	48000
110	Tanya	50000
102	Kritika	60000

Q.Execute the following 2 queries and find out what will happen if we specify two columns in the ORDER BY clause: SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE ORDER BY Salary, Bonus; SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE ORDER BY Salary,Bonus DESC;

Why a second sort column matters — in general

Running both queries on Table 9.8

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Q.Execute the following 2 queries and find out what will happen if we specify two columns in the ORDER BY clause:
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE ORDER BY Salary, Bonus;
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE ORDER BY Salary,Bonus DESC;

Unlock everything free for 14 days