UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

Jack Arta 250000 Indonesia
 Bay Ching 500000 China
 Cruella Lumper 725000 Malaysia

sort +1 -2 company.data
sort -k2 company.data

sort -r +2 -3 company.data > test1
sort -k 3r company.data > test2
vimdiff test1 test2

ls -l | sort -nk2 > test1
ls -l | sort +1 -2n > test2
vimdiff test1 test2

ls -l | sort -r +2 -3 > test1
ls -l | sort -k 3r > test2
vimdiff test1 test2

The obsolescent [+pos1 [-pos2]] options provide functionality equivalent to the
-k keydef option.  For comparison, the full formats of these options shall be
    +field0_number[.first0_character][type] [-field0_number[.first0_character][type]]
    -k field_number[.first_character][type][,field_number[.last_character][type]]
In the obsolescent form, fields (specified by field0_number) and characters within
fields (specified by first0_character) shall be numbered from zero instead of one.
The optional type modifiers shall be the same in both forms.  If .first0_character
is omitted or first0_character evaluates to zero, it shall refer to the first
character of the field.  The -b option shall not apply to -pos2.

The fully specified +pos1 -pos2 form with type modifiers T and U:
    +w.xT -y.zU
is equivalent to:
    undefined           (z=0 and U contains b and -t is present)
    -k w+1.x+1T,y.0U    (z=0 otherwise)
    -k w+1.x+1T,y+1.zU  (z > 0)
As with the nonobsolescent forms, implementations shall support at least nine
occurrences of the +pos1 option, which shall be significant in command-line order.