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Sometimes you want to display 4 random articles/pics/you name it on your web page and you don’t want to write a lot of code. SQL SERVER 2000 and up has a neat little function called NEWID() that can help you out.
First create this table and populate it
- CREATE TABLE #Test (ID INT,LastName VARCHAR(49))
- INSERT #Test VALUES(1,'Jackson')
- INSERT #Test VALUES(2,'Douglas')
- INSERT #Test VALUES(3,'Michael')
- INSERT #Test VALUES(4,'Manson')
- INSERT #Test VALUES(5,'Gabor')
- INSERT #Test VALUES(6,'Welch')
- INSERT #Test VALUES(7,'Anderson')
- INSERT #Test VALUES(8,'Vader')
Run the code below from Query Analyzer/Management Studio and keep hitting F5. You will see that the results will be different every time.
- SELECT TOP 4 *
- FROM #Test
- ORDER BY NEWID()
Contributed by: --SQLDenis 02:52, 31 May 2008 (GMT)
Part of SQL Server Programming Hacks
Section Handy tricks
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