select rownum, name
  from users
  limit  5 ;

 1   Петя
 2   Вася
 3   Коля
 4   Марина
 5   Сергей

select rownum, name
  from users
  order by dt_system limit  5 ;

 1   Петя
 2   Вася
 3   Коля
 4   Марина
 5   Сергей

select name, my_func_to_upper(surname)
  from t

      $idx = C_ONE;

      function inc() {
         global $idx;
         return $idx++;
      }

      sqlite_create_function($conn->id, 'inc', 'inc', C_ZERO);

sqlite> select * from dept order by name;

id|name

 23 |Account
 44 |Domestic
 65 |Entertainment
 12 |Finance
 54 |Management
 76 |PR

      $query = 'SELECT inc()  AS row_num'.
               '      ,id     AS id'.
               '      ,name   AS name'.
               '  FROM dept'.
               ' ORDER BY name';

row_num	  id  	name
 2  	 23  	Account
 3  	 44  	Domestic
 5  	 65  	Entertainment
 1  	 12  	Finance
 4  	 54  	Management
 6  	 76  	PR

      $query = 'SELECT inc()  AS row_num'.
               '      ,id     AS id'.
               '      ,name   AS name'.
               '  FROM dept'.
               ' ORDER BY name'.
               ' LIMIT 3';

row_num	  id  	name
 2  	 23  	Account
 3  	 44  	Domestic
 5  	 65  	Entertainment

      $query = 'SELECT inc()  AS row_num'.
               '      ,id     AS id'.
               '      ,name   AS name'.
               '  FROM (SELECT id      AS id'.
               '              ,name    AS name'.
               '          FROM dept'.
               '         ORDER BY name)';

и

      $query = 'SELECT inc()  AS row_num'.
               '      ,id     AS id'.
               '      ,name   AS name'.
               '  FROM (SELECT id      AS id'.
               '              ,name    AS name'.
               '          FROM dept'.
               '         ORDER BY name)'.
               ' LIMIT 3';

      $query = 'SELECT inc()  AS row_num'.
               '      ,id     AS id'.
               '      ,name   AS name'.
               '  FROM (SELECT id      AS id'.
               '              ,name    AS name'.
               '          FROM dept'.
               '         ORDER BY name)'.
               ' ORDER BY name';

row_num	  id  	name
 1  	 23  	Account
 2  	 44  	Domestic
 3  	 65  	Entertainment
 4  	 12  	Finance
 5  	 54  	Management
 6  	 76  	PR