SQL Server dense_rank() on nvarchar column -

from this question, possible use dense_rank on nvarchar column?

here's sql fiddle created nvarchar column, see results yourself, , here's one column int

of course possible. examples quite different. in first, values ordered as:

1 11 2 3 4 5

in second this:

1 2 3 4 5 11

hence, results different. numbers stored strings treated strings, not numbers.

edit:

there 2 ways "treat nvarchar()" number. first conversion, such as:

dense_rank() on (order cast(number decimal)) grp

(or whatever type want).

the second work if values integers , not have leading zeros:

dense_rank() on (order len(number), number) grp

hj