FDO Core enhancment: support standard ORDER BY expressions

[Mike Toews]

Searching through the fdo-user's list, I found some discussion and ticket-worthy material on the topic of ordering data from the core API: ​http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/fdo-users/2008-May/000943.html

The primary importance for me is the drawing order of stacked features. At present, in AutoCAD Map3D we have no control how overlapping polygons are drawn. One workaround is to create a database view on the server-side that is linked to FDO/CAD, and the other is to break a single feature layer into several layers to get the stacking correct. The preferred method would be to use a single ordered feature class that is sored by (e.g.) date, status, area, or some other feature attribute.

From a low-level perspective, it appears this is supported by some providers using customized commands. This enhancement is aimed to bring soring of data on 1 or more attribute columns to FDO Core, so it can be supported by data providers.

See also, a similar "ORDER BY" enhancement request for QGIS: ​https://trac.osgeo.org/qgis/ticket/1597

[zspitzer]

relates to ​http://trac.osgeo.org/mapguide/ticket/618

it has been suggested to write an RFC for this feature

[gregboone]

Enhancement Request