How does the ORDER BY clause affect query results in SQL?

The ORDER BY clause in SQL is specifically designed to sort the results of a query. When used, it allows you to define the order in which the rows will be returned based on one or more columns specified within the clause. By default, the sorting is done in ascending order. However, you can explicitly request descending order by using the DESC keyword. This feature is essential for organizing data in a way that makes it easier to read and analyze, providing insights based on ordered values, such as sorting a list of customers by their last names or ranking products by their sales figures.

While filtering data based on specific criteria is accomplished with the WHERE clause, limiting the number of returned results involves the use of the LIMIT (or FETCH) clause, and grouping data is done with the GROUP BY clause, these functionalities serve different purposes in SQL. The ORDER BY clause is unique in its focus on the arrangement of data rather than its selection or aggregation.