Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!gatech!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!m2c!necntc!custom!boykin From: boykin@custom.UUCP (Joseph Boykin) Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.sources.wanted Subject: Re: Multiple Field Sorts in UNIX(tm) Message-ID: <760@custom.UUCP> Date: Fri, 24-Jul-87 00:06:13 EDT Article-I.D.: custom.760 Posted: Fri Jul 24 00:06:13 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 25-Jul-87 12:43:09 EDT References: <2459@whuts.UUCP> <758@custom.UUCP> <7651@mimsy.UUCP> Organization: Custom Software Systems; Natick, MA Lines: 28 Summary: UNIX Sort permits different sorts on different fields Xref: mnetor comp.unix.questions:3320 comp.sources.wanted:1706 In article <7651@mimsy.UUCP>, chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) writes: > In article <758@custom.UUCP> boykin@custom.UUCP (Joseph Boykin) writes: > >UNIX Sort (as well as our own PC/SORT) allows you to do exactly what you > >want. > > ... unless you need a numeric sort on one field but an alphabetical > sorts on another, or if any of the other global sort flags conflict > for two fields. It should not be too hard to write a stable sort > for such applications, especially if you let /usr/bin/sort do the > hard work. (Note the merge option!) > -- > In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7690) > Domain: chris@mimsy.umd.edu Path: seismo!mimsy!chris As I said in my original posting, UNIX Sort will do exactly what he wants, this includes the possibility of doing a numeric sort on one field and alphabetical on another. Sort has global options which effect how the sort is done, i.e. do a numeric sort on all the specified fields. Each field may specify it's own sub-options, each of which override the global options. Specifically a sort key has the form m.no where 'm' is the 'm'th field (0 relative), 'n' is the number of characters from the start of that field and 'o' is zero or more of the flags b d f i n or r. If any of these are present they override the global ordering options (but not the non-ordering options). Joe Boykin Custom Software Systems ...necntc!custom!boykin