Question

I’m running this query on a MYSql database:

select * from wp_postmeta
where meta_key LIKE "%_thumbnail_id"
and post_id = 897

It is returning this data set:

Picture.png http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/9065/picturezo.png

How can I order by meta_key so that _thumbnail_id comes first, then followed by dogs_image-2_thumbnail_id and then dogs_image-3_thumbnail_id ?

If I simply use order by meta_key asc the numbered images are in order, but _thumbnail_id is showing up at the bottom instead of the top.

Answer 1

How about this?

SELECT * 
FROM wp_postmeta
WHERE meta_key LIKE "%_thumbnail_id" AND post_id = 897
ORDER BY (CASE WHEN meta_key = '_thumbnail_id' THEN 0 ELSE 1 END) ASC, meta_key

I am assuming that _thumbnail_id is the only odd case you have.