ORDER BY RANDOM () - SQL

In SQL, the ORDER BY RANDOM clause is not directly supported in most relational database management systems (RDBMS) as a standard SQL feature. However, some database systems provide extensions or functions that allow for random ordering of query results.

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL, for example, provides the RANDOM() function, which generates a random number between 0 and 1. You can use this function in combination with the ORDER BY clause to achieve random ordering:

SELECT *
FROM table_name
ORDER BY RANDOM();

This query retrieves all columns from the specified table and orders the result set randomly.

MySQL / MariaDB

In MySQL and MariaDB, you can use the RAND() function to generate a random number. However, the syntax for ordering by a random number is slightly different:

SELECT *
FROM table_name
ORDER BY RAND();

Similar to PostgreSQL, this query orders the result set randomly.

Conclusion

While SQL does not have a standard ORDER BY RANDOM clause, some database systems provide functions like RANDOM() or RAND() that can be used in conjunction with the ORDER BY clause to achieve random ordering of query results. However, it's important to consider performance implications and alternative approaches when working with large datasets or when repeatability is a concern.