Linux Sort command


 
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# 1  
Old 04-02-2009
Linux Sort command

Hello! Can anybody explain in laymen terms what the (+) option in the sort command for Linux does? Please.
Thanks in advance!!Smilie
# 2  
Old 04-03-2009


With + option it's possible to give a sorting key

man sort
Code:
`+POS1[-POS2]'
     The obsolete, traditional option for specifying a sort field.  
     The field consists of the line between POS1 and up to but _not
     including_ POS2 (or the end of the line if POS2 is omitted).
     Fields and character positions are numbered starting with 0.

     [...]

To sort the file below on the third field (area code):

Jim Alchin  212121 Seattle
Bill Gates 404404 Seattle
Steve Jobs 246810 Nevada 
Scott Neally 212277 Los Angeles 

$ sort -k 3,3 people.txt> sorted.txt
or using the 'old' syntax:
$ sort +2 -3 people.txt> sorted2.txt

Have you tried the example?


Here more examples...
------------------------------------------------
$ cat example.txt
Jon 200
Bill 30
Carl 100
Bernard 5

$ sort -k 2 -n example.txt
Bernard 5
Bill 30
Carl 100
Jon 200
------------------------------------------------
$ ls -l | sort -n -r -k 5
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1057 1 mar 20:12 ring+star
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 727 1 mar 20:12 A_star
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 535 1 mar 20:12 star2
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 505 1 mar 20:12 spirals_and_stars
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 503 1 mar 20:12 curves
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 475 1 mar 20:12 simily
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 458 1 mar 20:12 ring
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 415 1 mar 20:12 stars
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 387 1 mar 20:12 sprial
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 377 1 mar 20:12 polys
 
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