UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

#!/bin/ksh
IAm=${0##*/}
base="${IAm}_$$_"
trap 'rm -f "$base"*' EXIT
file=${1:-file}
nf=1
while [ 1 ]
do	tmpname=$(printf "%s%03d" "$base" $nf)
	cut -f $nf "$file" > "$tmpname"
	if ! grep -Fq '|' "$tmpname"
	then	rm -f "$tmpname"
		((nf--))
		break
	fi
	((nf++))
	sort -t '|' -k3,3n -o "$tmpname" "$tmpname"
done
if [ $nf -gt 0 ]
then	paste "$base"*
else	exit 1
fi

0.269330|0.035118|0.526763|0.792274	0.000000|0.030234|0.000000|1631
3.981490|5.062725|17.190744|111	0.33555|19.471911|51.844968|1631

43|33|20|21	34|21|50|80
12|40|30|60	21|32|60|70
2|3|40|50	54|23|70|56

paste <( <file awk '{print $1}' | sort -t '|' -k3,3n ) <( <file awk '{print $2}' | sort -t '|' -k3,3n )

awk '
{
	for (i=1; i<=NF; i++)
		a[NR,i] = $i
}

END {
	tmp_file = "tmp"
	sort_cmd = "sort -t\\| -k3,3n > " tmp_file

	# Filter each column through sort.
	for (i=1; i<=NF; i++) {
		for (j=1; j<=NR; j++) {
			print a[j,i] | sort_cmd
		}
		close(sort_cmd)
		j=0
		while (getline x < tmp_file == 1)
			a[++j,i] = x
		close(tmp_file)
	}

	# Print
	for (i=1; i<=NR; i++) {
		for (j=1; j<=NF; j++)
			printf "%s%s", (j>1 ? "\t" : ""), a[i,j]
		print ""
	}
}
' filename