Allow sorting by NULLS FIRST / NULLS LAST

Problem

Currently can’t seem to specify how to sort nulls in a findMany

Suggested solution

To be able to specify NULLS FIRST or NULLS LAST

Alternatives

Currently making separate queries and concat-ing them in JS

Additional context

On a table with rows that contain data synced from elsewhere, there’s a date field for last_synced_details_at;
The column’s default value is null (never been synced)
When attempting to get the “most stale rows” would be orderBy: { last_synced_details_at: "asc" }, I’d get the ones that have been synced first, and rows that have never been synced after

[jycouet]

All right, let’s try 💪

Let’s consider tabletosort:

id	name
1	John
2	Bob
3	NULL
4	Zaz

PostgreSQL

ASC

SELECT * FROM tabletosort order by name -- default to NULLS LAST

-- How to put null first?
-- Option Native NULLS FIRST
SELECT * FROM tabletosort order by name NULLS FIRST
-- Option col IS NULL then
SELECT * FROM tabletosort order by name IS NULL desc, name

DESC

SELECT * FROM tabletosort order by name desc -- default to NULLS FIRST

-- How to put null last?
-- Option Native NULLS LAST
SELECT * FROM tabletosort order by name desc NULLS LAST
-- Option col IS NULL then
SELECT * FROM tabletosort order by name IS NULL, name desc

MySQL

ASC

SELECT * FROM tabletosort order by name -- default to NULLS FIRST

-- Option col IS NULL then
-- it's supported

DESC

SELECT * FROM tabletosort order by name desc -- default to NULLS LAST

-- Option col IS NULL then
-- it's supported

SQLite

ASC

SELECT * FROM tabletosort order by name -- default to NULLS FIRST

-- Option col IS NULL then
-- it's supported

DESC

SELECT * FROM tabletosort order by name desc -- default to NULLS LAST

-- Option col IS NULL then
-- it's supported

Microsoft SQL Server

ASC

SELECT * FROM tabletosort order by name -- default to NULLS FIRST

-- Option col IS NULL then
-- it's supported

DESC

SELECT * FROM tabletosort order by name desc -- default to NULLS LAST

-- Option col IS NULL then
-- it's supported

Summary

	PostgreSQL	MySQL	SQL Lite	Microsoft SQL Server
default asc	NULLS LAST	NULLS FIRST	NULLS FIRST	NULLS FIRST
default desc	NULLS FIRST	NULLS LAST	NULLS LAST	NULLS LAST
Support NULLS XXXX	✅	❌	❌	❌
col IS NULL then	✅	✅	✅	✅

Proposal

type orderBy = {
  direction:
  | 'asc' // platform asc
  | 'desc' // platform desc
  | 'asc_nulls_first' // force null first then asc
  | 'asc_nulls_last' // force null last then asc
  | 'desc_nulls_first' // force null first then desc
  | 'desc_nulls_last'; // force null last then desc
};

...

await this.prisma.tabletosort.findMany({
  orderBy: { nom: 'asc' }
});

Like this, there is NO change of the current behavior and you can opt-in a specific sorting.

🤞 that the topic can move forward 🥳 //BTW, I 🧡 prisma.

[Weakky]

Hey folks,

This feature was released as part of the 4.1.0 version.

Thanks for upvoting this feature. If you wanna give any feedback, please comment on this issue https://github.com/prisma/prisma/issues/14377

Cheers 👋