SQL COLLATE: Sorting & Comparison Guide

In SQL, the COLLATE keyword is used to specify the sorting rules of a character set. It is used to sort, compare, and match query results to ensure the correct character order and comparison results. The COLLATE keyword is typically used to handle data in different character sets or languages to ensure proper sorting and comparison. The COLLATE keyword can be used in operations such as ORDER BY, GROUP BY, DISTINCT, and UNION.