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)