
Python MySQL Tutorial – How to Use ORDER BY to Sort Data
Last updated 2 weeks, 1 day ago | 35 views 75 5

When retrieving data from a MySQL database, you often want it sorted—by name, date, price, or any other column. The ORDER BY
clause in SQL allows you to do just that. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use ORDER BY
in Python using the mysql-connector-python
library to sort your query results.
Table of Contents
-
What is
ORDER BY
? -
Prerequisites
-
Install MySQL Connector
-
Connect to MySQL Using Python
-
Use
ORDER BY
to Sort Results (Ascending) -
Use
ORDER BY
to Sort Results (Descending) -
Sort by Multiple Columns
-
Full Working Example
-
Tips and Common Pitfalls
✅ 1. What is ORDER BY
?
The ORDER BY
clause in SQL is used to sort the result set by one or more columns.
Syntax:
SELECT * FROM table_name ORDER BY column_name [ASC|DESC];
-
ASC
(default): Sorts in ascending order. -
DESC
: Sorts in descending order.
⚙️ 2. Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:
-
Python installed
-
A MySQL server with a database and table
-
The
mysql-connector-python
library installed -
Some data in your MySQL table
3. Install MySQL Connector
Install the official MySQL connector using pip:
pip install mysql-connector-python
4. Connect to MySQL Using Python
import mysql.connector
db = mysql.connector.connect(
host="localhost",
user="your_username",
password="your_password",
database="mydatabase"
)
cursor = db.cursor()
Replace the placeholders with your actual MySQL credentials.
5. Use ORDER BY
to Sort Results in Ascending Order
cursor.execute("SELECT * FROM users ORDER BY name ASC")
results = cursor.fetchall()
for row in results:
print(row)
This sorts all users alphabetically by name (A to Z).
6. Use ORDER BY
to Sort Results in Descending Order
cursor.execute("SELECT * FROM users ORDER BY age DESC")
results = cursor.fetchall()
for row in results:
print(row)
This will list users by age, from oldest to youngest.
7. Sort by Multiple Columns
You can sort by multiple fields, such as by city first, then by age:
cursor.execute("SELECT * FROM users ORDER BY city ASC, age DESC")
results = cursor.fetchall()
for row in results:
print(row)
This means:
-
First, users are sorted by city (A–Z)
-
Within each city, they are sorted by age (highest to lowest)
8. Full Working Example
import mysql.connector
from mysql.connector import Error
def sort_users():
try:
db = mysql.connector.connect(
host="localhost",
user="root",
password="your_password",
database="mydatabase"
)
cursor = db.cursor()
# Sort users by age descending
sql = "SELECT id, name, age, city FROM users ORDER BY age DESC"
cursor.execute(sql)
results = cursor.fetchall()
print("Users sorted by age (descending):")
for row in results:
print(row)
except Error as e:
print("Error:", e)
finally:
if db.is_connected():
db.close()
print("Database connection closed.")
# Run the function
sort_users()
⚠️ 9. Tips and Common Pitfalls
Pitfall | Solution |
---|---|
Not seeing sorted output | Make sure the SQL query includes ORDER BY |
Sorting by column not in SELECT | Include the column in your SELECT or sort by index |
Case-sensitive sort behavior | Use COLLATE in SQL if needed (e.g., ORDER BY name COLLATE utf8_general_ci ) |
Using input values in ORDER BY |
Don't use user input directly; validate it first to prevent SQL injection |
✅ Tips
-
ORDER BY column_name ASC
is the same as justORDER BY column_name
-
Use
LIMIT
withORDER BY
to get top or bottom N results -
Always use proper column names and double-check spelling
-
Avoid using raw user input directly in
ORDER BY
clauses
Summary Table
Task | SQL Example |
---|---|
Sort by name (A–Z) | ORDER BY name ASC |
Sort by age (high to low) | ORDER BY age DESC |
Sort by city then age | ORDER BY city ASC, age DESC |
Final Thoughts
The ORDER BY
clause is a powerful SQL tool that allows you to control how your data is displayed. When paired with Python and MySQL, it helps you present sorted and meaningful output to your users or applications. Remember to sort only what you need and use placeholders properly to keep queries secure and efficient.
Tips and Tricks
What is pass in Python?
Python | Pass Statement
The pass statement is used as a placeholder for future code. It represents a null operation in Python. It is generally used for the purpose of filling up empty blocks of code which may execute during runtime but has yet to be written.
def myfunction():
pass
How can you generate random numbers?
Python | Generate random numbers
Python provides a module called random using which we can generate random numbers. e.g: print(random.random())
We have to import a random module and call the random() method as shown below:
import random
print(random.random())
The random() method generates float values lying between 0 and 1 randomly.
To generate customized random numbers between specified ranges, we can use the randrange() method
Syntax: randrange(beginning, end, step)
import random
print(random.randrange(5,100,2))
What is lambda in Python?
Python | Lambda function
A lambda function is a small anonymous function. This function can have any number of parameters but, can have just one statement.
Syntex:
lambda arguments : expression
a = lambda x,y : x+y
print(a(5, 6))
It also provides a nice way to write closures. With that power, you can do things like this.
def adder(x):
return lambda y: x + y
add5 = adder(5)
add5(1) #6
As you can see from the snippet of Python, the function adder takes in an argument x and returns an anonymous function, or lambda, that takes another argument y. That anonymous function allows you to create functions from functions. This is a simple example, but it should convey the power lambdas and closures have.
What is swapcase() function in the Python?
Python | swapcase() Function
It is a string's function that converts all uppercase characters into lowercase and vice versa. It automatically ignores all the non-alphabetic characters.
string = "IT IS IN LOWERCASE."
print(string.swapcase())
How to remove whitespaces from a string in Python?
Python | strip() Function | Remove whitespaces from a string
To remove the whitespaces and trailing spaces from the string, Python provides a strip([str]) built-in function. This function returns a copy of the string after removing whitespaces if present. Otherwise returns the original string.
string = " Python "
print(string.strip())
What is the usage of enumerate() function in Python?
Python | enumerate() Function
The enumerate() function is used to iterate through the sequence and retrieve the index position and its corresponding value at the same time.
lst = ["A","B","C"]
print (list(enumerate(lst)))
#[(0, 'A'), (1, 'B'), (2, 'C')]
Can you explain the filter(), map(), and reduce() functions?
Python | filter(), map(), and reduce() Functions
- filter() function accepts two arguments, a function and an iterable, where each element of the iterable is filtered through the function to test if the item is accepted or not.
>>> set(filter(lambda x:x>4, range(7))) # {5, 6}
-
map() function calls the specified function for each item of an iterable and returns a list of result
>>> set(map(lambda x:x**3, range(7))) # {0, 1, 64, 8, 216, 27, 125}
-
reduce() function reduces a sequence pair-wise, repeatedly until we arrive at a single value..
>>> reduce(lambda x,y:y-x, [1,2,3,4,5]) # 3
Let’s understand this:
2-1=1
3-1=2
4-2=2
5-2=3Hence, 3.
What is a namedtuple?
Python | namedtuple
A namedtuple will let us access a tuple’s elements using a name/label. We use the function namedtuple() for this, and import it from collections.
>>> from collections import namedtuple
#format
>>> result=namedtuple('result','Physics Chemistry Maths')
#declaring the tuple
>>> Chris=result(Physics=86,Chemistry=92,Maths=80)
>>> Chris.Chemistry
# 92
Write a code to add the values of same keys in two different dictionaries and return a new dictionary.
We can use the Counter method from the collections module
from collections import Counter
dict1 = {'a': 5, 'b': 3, 'c': 2}
dict2 = {'a': 2, 'b': 4, 'c': 3}
new_dict = Counter(dict1) + Counter(dict2)
print(new_dict)
# Print: Counter({'a': 7, 'b': 7, 'c': 5})
Python In-place swapping of two numbers
Python | In-place swapping of two numbers
>>> a, b = 10, 20
>>> print(a, b)
10 20
>>> a, b = b, a
>>> print(a, b)
20 10
Reversing a String in Python
Python | Reversing a String
>>> x = 'PythonWorld'
>>> print(x[: : -1])
dlroWnohtyP
Python join all items of a list to convert into a single string
Python | Join all items of a list to convert into a single string
>>> x = ["Python", "Online", "Training"]
>>> print(" ".join(x))
Python Online Training
python return multiple values from functions
Python | Return multiple values from functions
>>> def A():
return 2, 3, 4
>>> a, b, c = A()
>>> print(a, b, c)
2 3 4
Python Print String N times
Python | Print String N times
>>> s = 'Python'
>>> n = 5
>>> print(s * n)
PythonPythonPythonPythonPython
Python check the memory usage of an object
Python | Check the memory usage of an object
>>> import sys
>>> x = 100
>>> print(sys.getsizeof(x))
28