Selecting TOP 3 in one field is not working properly

[Access_Novice]

In the attached DB, I some SQL code in a query which is selecting the TOP 3 of the field, TimesheetDate. As I understand it, this should select the top 3 rows right? But the query results do not show 06/17/2014, 06/18/2014 and 07/08/2014 in that order like the table does.

Why isn't the query results showing the top 3 rows?

[pbaldy]

You need to add a sort to the query on the field you want the top 3 values for.

[Access_Novice]

You need to add a sort to the query on the field you want the top 3 values for.

Thank you for your reply. I tried this:

SELECT TOP 3 TimesheetDate
FROM Timesheet
ORDER BY TimesheetDate;

and I still didn't get the expected results. Any suggestions?

[pbaldy]

Worked for me. What result did you get?

[Access_Novice]

Worked for me. What result did you get?

Ok now it worked.

1. Is the TOP clause designed to give you the 3 greatest values or the first 3 values that appear?

2. Also what about this? My table data for the timesheet field appears as: 6/16/, 6/17 and 10/28. What would I have to do in order to retrieve those 3 values in that exact order? I thought that was what the TOP clause was supposed to do?

[pbaldy]

Heading out to a friend's for dinner, but the 7 record would come before the 10 record. The TOP predicate will give you the first 3 records based on the sort order.