sort - sort lines of text files


SYNOPSIS

       sort [OPTION]... [FILE]...


DESCRIPTION

       Write sorted concatenation of all FILE(s) to standard out­
       put.

       Ordering options:

       -b, --ignore-leading-blanks ignore leading blanks

       -d, --dictionary-order
              consider only blanks and alphanumeric characters

       -f, --ignore-case
              fold lower case to upper case characters

       -g, --general-numeric-sort
              compare according to general numerical value

       -i, --ignore-nonprinting
              consider only printable characters

       -M, --month-sort
              compare (unknown) < `JAN' < ... < `DEC'

       -n, --numeric-sort
              compare according to string numerical value

       -r, --reverse
              reverse the result of comparisons

       Other options:

       -c, --check
              check whether input is sorted; do not sort

       -k, --key=POS1[,POS2]
              start a key at POS1, end it at POS 2 (origin 1)

       -m, --merge
              merge already sorted files; do not sort

       -o, --output=FILE
              write result to FILE instead of standard output

       -s, --stable
              stabilize sort by disabling last-resort comparison

       -S, --buffer-size=SIZE
              use SIZE for main memory buffer

              whitespace transition

       -T, --temporary-directory=DIR
              use DIR for temporaries, not $TMPDIR or /tmp multi­
              ple options specify multiple directories

       -u, --unique
              with -c: check for strict ordering otherwise:  out­
              put only the first of an equal run

       -z, --zero-terminated
              end lines with 0 byte, not newline

       +POS1 [-POS2]
              start  a key at POS1, end it before POS2 (origin 0)
              Warning: this option is obsolescent

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
              output version information and exit

       POS is F[.C][OPTS], where F is the field number and C  the
       character  position  in  the  field, both counted from one
       with -k, from zero with the  obsolescent  form.   OPTS  is
       made  up  of  one  or more single-letter ordering options,
       which override global ordering options for that  key.   If
       no key is given, use the entire line as the key.

       SIZE  may be followed by the following multiplicative suf­
       fixes: % 1% of memory, b 1, k 1024 (default),  and  so  on
       for M, G, T, P, E, Z, Y.

       With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

       ***  WARNING  ***  The locale specified by the environment
       affects sort order.  Set LC_ALL=C to get  the  traditional
       sort order that uses native byte values.


AUTHOR

       Written by Mike Haertel and Paul Eggert.


REPORTING BUGS

       Report bugs to <bug-textutils@gnu.org>.


COPYRIGHT

       Copyright © 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       This  is  free software; see the source for copying condi­
       tions.  There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY
       or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.


SEE ALSO

       The full documentation for sort is maintained as a Texinfo

       installed at your site, the command

              info sort

       should give you access to the complete manual.


Man(1) output converted with man2html