SQL 2005 NTile() syntax is pretty easy, the results are powerful

Here's some SQL syntax I have been meaning to post for the past three years! Ha! It's against Northwind.

/* 
    NTile()

    Distributes the rows in an ordered partition into a specified number of groups. 
    The groups are numbered, starting at one. For each row, NTILE returns the number 
    of the group to which the row belongs.
*/

Select
     NTile(4) OVER (ORDER BY ContactName) [Tile]
    ,ContactName 
From
    Customers
Where
    ContactTitle = 'Owner'

-- use NTile for "percentile" - fills one tile at a time, one record at a time

Select
     NTile(10) OVER (ORDER BY ContactName) [Tile]
    ,ContactName 
From
    Customers
Where
    ContactTitle = 'Owner' 

-- ntile is based on full result set

Select TOP (20)
     NTile(10) OVER (ORDER BY ContactName) [Tile]
    ,ContactName 
From
    Customers

GO