What I learnt about Oracle today

SQL> SELECT id, some_date
  2  FROM   tst1
  3  ORDER  BY some_date
  4  /
        ID SOME_DATE
---------- ---------
         8 03-JAN-05
        10 10-FEB-05
         1 18-FEB-05
         2 24-FEB-05
         6 26-FEB-05
         9 01-MAY-05
         7 20-MAY-05
         4 29-MAY-05
         3 18-JUN-05
         5 09-JUL-05

10 rows selected.

SQL> SELECT id, to_char(some_date, 'DD-MON-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') AS some_date
  2  FROM   tst1
  3  ORDER  BY some_date
  4  /
        ID SOME_DATE
---------- --------------------
         9 01-MAY-2005 09:58:09
         8 03-JAN-2005 11:00:33
         5 09-JUL-2005 21:01:44
        10 10-FEB-2005 03:19:58
         1 18-FEB-2005 00:46:04
         3 18-JUN-2005 03:06:05
         7 20-MAY-2005 08:20:05
         2 24-FEB-2005 08:17:43
         6 26-FEB-2005 07:12:51
         4 29-MAY-2005 14:21:38

10 rows selected.

SQL> SELECT id, to_char(some_date, 'DD-MON-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') AS the_date
  2  FROM   tst1
  3  ORDER  BY some_date
  4  /
        ID THE_DATE
---------- --------------------
         8 03-JAN-2005 11:00:33
        10 10-FEB-2005 03:19:58
         1 18-FEB-2005 00:46:04
         2 24-FEB-2005 08:17:43
         6 26-FEB-2005 07:12:51
         9 01-MAY-2005 09:58:09
         7 20-MAY-2005 08:20:05
         4 29-MAY-2005 14:21:38
         3 18-JUN-2005 03:06:05
         5 09-JUL-2005 21:01:44

10 rows selected.

SQL> 

Hmmm....

Oracle's SELECT statements support column aliases in the ORDER BY clause. Now when did that happen? Actually Oracle's been doing so for years, since at least 8i. It's one of those things I feel a fool for not knowing about, but at the same time I'm glad there's still things about even very basic Oracle that I have yet to learn.

A piece of seventeenth Taoist wisdom, cited in The DailyZen Journal:

If people want to do the finest thing in the world, nothing compares to learning. If they want to be the best of learners, nothing compares to learning the Way.