man/cat1/sort.1.txt

SORT(1) User Commands SORT(1)
 
 
 
 
 
NAME
       sort - sort lines of text files
 
SYNOPSIS
       sort [OPTION]... [FILE]...
 
DESCRIPTION
       Write sorted concatenation of all FILE(s) to standard
       output.
 
       Ordering options:
 
       Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for
       short options too.
 
       -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 compari-
              son
 
       -S, --buffer-size=SIZE
              use SIZE for main memory buffer
 
       -t, --field-separator=SEP use SEP instead of non-blank
              to blank transition
 
       -T, --temporary-directory=DIR
              use DIR for temporaries, not $TMPDIR or /tmp;
              multiple options specify multiple directories
 
       -u, --unique
              with -c, check for strict ordering; without -c,
              output only the first of an equal run
 
       -z, --zero-terminated
              end lines with 0 byte, not newline
 
       --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. OPTS is 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
       suffixes: % 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-coreutils@gnu.org>.
 
COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (C) 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       This is free software; see the source for copying condi-
       tions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABIL-
       ITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 
SEE ALSO
       The full documentation for sort is maintained as a Tex-
       info manual. If the info and sort programs are properly
       installed at your site, the command
 
              info sort
 
       should give you access to the complete manual.
 
 
 
sort 5.3.0 December 2004 SORT(1)