How to store decimal with letters and then display

[jsteiner87]

I have a listing of items in a database and they have section numbers that are attached to these items. For example:

1.10 Item #1
1.20 Item #2
2.24 Item #3
11.00 Item #4

I currently have these stored as a decimal. Now I need to add letters onto some of these decimals.

1.10 Item #1
1.20 Item #2
2.24 Item #3
2.24n Item #5
11.00 Item #4

If I store the items as varchar they would sort like this.

1.10 Item #1
1.20 Item #2
11.00 Item #4
2.24 Item #3
2.24n Item #5

How can I store these section numbers and have a letter in with it and sort them in a numeric order?

 

[KarveR]

this would be better posted on the related database forum, where incidentally it probably has been answered before.

i know this has been addressed in the mysql forum.

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There's no present like the time, they say. - Henry's Cat.

 

[jsteiner87]

Thanks, I will try over there. I didn't know if I could use PHP to sort this and store it as varchar