convert varchar/char to integer

[morten bjoernsvik]

Hi Gents
 
 Is it possible to sort char/varchars that only contains integers as integers 
and not as characters.  I can't use integer because the standard says it may 
contain characters aswell. Currently I do this outside mysql in a 
perl-procedure.
 
 Whatever I try I get this order:
 
 | 2000651             |
 | 2000701             |
 | 20008               |
 | 2001956             |
 | 2003077             |
 | 2003176             |
 | 2003788             |
 | 2003903             |
 | 20040               |
 | 2004281             |
 | 2004380             |
 | 2004414             |
 | 2004489             |
 | 2004547             |
 | 200543              |
 
 Thanks
 
 Morten Bjørnsvik, Oslo, Norway