UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I have some directories I am trying to sort. When I attempt to sort them and they are in this format, everything works great:

Code:

file
/vol/trees10
/vol/trees2
/vol/trees7

Code:

cat file |sort -ts -k2 -n

Code:

/vol/trees2
/vol/trees7
/vol/trees10

This makes thefiles in the order

Code:

/vol/trees2
/vol/trees7
/vol/trees10

However, if I try to do use a forward slash as the delimiter: sort -t/ it does not work. I've tried sort -t "/" and tried using -k. This is probably an easy question, but I'm just missing something.

That looked correct to me, and I've just tried this on linux - worked fine.
For your example, you'd want:

Code:

sort -t '/' -k 3

What commandline are you trying?

I am using bash on a Solaris system. I still haven't gotten the command to work. The minute I try the forward slash as a delimiter, the command does not work even if I use -kn for numerical order.

hmm...

You do use the binaries in "/usr/xpg4/bin", not in /usr/bin", don't you?

I hope this helps.

bakunin

I've tried the binaries in /usr/xpg4/bin/ and I don't think it makes a difference. I still cannot sort this list. The only way I can sort the list is if use "s" as a delimiter. "/" does not seem to work at all. I have also tried a Linux system with the same issue. Also, I have tried the following:

Code:

[sort -t '/' -k 3,3n
sort -t '/' -k 2,2n

I then tried a 2.6n to attempt to use characters in the sorting. I tried what other folks have recommended in their posts but no luck. Anyone have any clues?

So far this is the only command that works:

Code:

cat file |sort -ts -k2 -n

If I use it I get the list in the desired order:

Code:

/vol/trees2
/vol/trees7
/vol/trees10

Otherwise I get:

Code:

/vol/trees10
/vol/trees2
/vol/trees7

---------- Post updated at 09:43 AM ---------- Previous update was at 09:02 AM ----------

I saw another post on a forum where someone was having issues with the tab key:

Unix sort on multiple fields

I am not sure if this is a similar issue. Has anyone had to escape the forward slash or is there a way to find the version of the sort command?

I think the syntax is -t/ not -t /

No need to escape the forward slash but specify the exact location of the numerical column...and if the input file has all entries with the last column being of the form "trees[0-9]+" then the following sort should work on all platforms...

Code:

sort -t / -k3.6n file

And if the length of the string literal varies then you'd have to do more processing before it can be sorted...