UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I need to sort the particular column only in reverse order how i can give it..

if i give the -r option the whole file is getting sorted in reverse order.

1st 2nd col 3rd
C col 4th col 5th col
-------------------------------------------
C 1100002814701 1 1100002808901 050919
C 1100002814801 1 1100002809001 070919
C 1100002814901 1 1100002809101 060919

I need to sort the 2nd col by ascending order and 5th column in reverse (descending) order..... how i can use the sort......is it by using the old key or new key defintion.

What have you tried?

sort -r -k 4,4 ?

i used sort +0.1 -0.14 -r +0.28 -0.33. It reverses the whole records.

Of course, thats the idea: sorting is displaying using a sort criteria, not modifying records...
in your case sorting in reverse order the 4th field:

Code:

 $ sort -r -k 4,4 00aa 
C 1100002814901 1 1100002809101 060919
C 1100002814801 1 1100002809001 070919
C 1100002814701 1 1100002808901 050919

$ sort -r -k 4,4 00aa

what does this aa represent actually??

i need to sort the 2nd column in ascending and 5th column in descending order.....actually saying there will be no spaces between the records..
to differentiate the records i have given like this......

C 1100002814901 1 1100002809101 060919
C 1100002814801 1 1100002809001 070919
C 1100002814701 1 1100002808901 050919

I may have not understood:
Is the line
C 1100002814901 1 1100002809101 060919
a record?

Data before sorting...

Code:

C 1100002814801 1 1100002809001 070919
C 1100002814901 1 1100002809101 060919
C 1100002814701 1 1100002808901 050919
C 1100002814701 1 1100002808901 050920

Data after sorting...

Code:

sort -n -k2,2 -k5,5r file
C 1100002814701 1 1100002808901 050920
C 1100002814701 1 1100002808901 050919
C 1100002814801 1 1100002809001 070919
C 1100002814901 1 1100002809101 060919

Is this what you want??