Question

I will try to explain my problem as much as I can.

I have a search form where user can select different parameters and enter different values to perform a search for the properties. Like I have a table tbl_properties.

In search form user selects, property_category, property_type [a lease, sale or rent], inputs price range, no_of_bedrooms, location,districts, property_area, etc. The property attributes may be in tbl_properties or in other lookup tables. Writing query is not my problem, but the problem I m in is, I want to sort records in following pattern in search results

1. First show result – price that matched the location in descending order
2. Then show – price that matched the district
3. Then show – No of bedrooms match in same district
4. Then show – Price/bedrooms/property area matched but in different district

I just want a hint how can the records be sorted in these orders?

EDIT

Here is the brief description of the table structure I have

tbl_properties
-------------------

property_id   INT
category_id    INT
property_name VARCHAR
price         INT
district_id   INT
location       VARCHAR
property_type  ENUM('lease','sale','rent')


tbl_category
-------------
category_id   INT
category_name VARCHAR


tbl_districts
-----------------
district_id INT
district_name VARCHAR


tbl_property_details
------------------------
detail_id      INT
property_id     INT
no_of_bedrooms  INT
property_area  DECIMAL

Thanks

Answer 1

order by case
    when price between @priceMin and @priceMax 
        and location = @location then 1
    when price between @priceMin and @priceMax 
        and district_id = @districtid then 2
    when no_of_bedrooms = @no_of_bedrooms 
        and districtid = @districtid then 3
    when price between @priceMin and @priceMax 
        and no_of_bedrooms = @no_of_bedrooms 
        and property_area = @property_area and districtid <> @districtid then 4
    else 5
end, price desc