SORT(T)                        FSF                        SORT(T)



NAME
       sort - sort lines of text files

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

DESCRIPTION
       Write sorted concatenation of all FILE(E) to standard out-
       put.

       +POS1 [-POS2]
              start a key at POS1, end it *before* POS2 (obsoles-
              cent)  field numbers and character offsets are num-
              bered starting with  zero  (contrast  with  the  -k
              option)

       -b     ignore leading blanks in sort fields or keys

       -c     check if given files already sorted, do not sort

       -d     consider only blanks and alphanumeric characters

       -f     fold lower case to upper case characters in keys

       -g     compare according to general numerical value, imply
              -b

       -i     consider only [\040-\0176] characters in keys

       -k POS1[,POS2]
              start a key at POS1, end it *at* POS2 field numbers
              and  character  offsets  are numbered starting with
              one (contrast with zero-based +POS form)

       -m     merge already sorted files, do not sort

       -M     compare (unknown) < `JAN' < ... < `DEC', imply -b

       -n     compare according to string numerical value,  imply
              -b

       -o FILE
              write result on FILE instead of standard output

       -r     reverse the result of comparisons

       -s     stabilize sort by disabling last resort comparison

       -t SEP use SEParator instead of non- to whitespace transi-
              tion

       -T DIRECTORY
              use DIRECTORY for temporary files, not  $TMPDIR  or
              /tmp

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

       -z     end lines  with  0  byte,  not  newline,  for  find
              -print0

       --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 of Mbdfinr; this  effectively  dis-
       ables global -Mbdfinr settings for that key.  If no key is
       given, use the entire line as the key.  With no  FILE,  or
       when FILE is -, read standard input.

AUTHOR
       Written by Mike Haertel.

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

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (C) 1999 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
       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.



GNU textutils 2.0           April 2002                    SORT(T)