LinuxQuestions.org - sort by multiple columns

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- - sort by multiple columns (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/sort-by-multiple-columns-762774/)

wakatana

10-18-2009 09:48 AM

sort by multiple columns

hi all I have file:

154 alfonz novak
154 michael cores
62 jan nedorost
62 martin adrov

and I want to sort by first column numericaly and then by third column alphabeticaly. so output should be:

62 martin adrov
62 jan nedorost
154 michael cores
154 alfonz novak

I tried

Code:

sort -k1n,3 sort

but it gives me:

62 jan nedorost
62 martin adrov
154 alfonz novak
154 michael cores

what I am doing wrong ? Thanks

H_TeXMeX_H

10-18-2009 10:03 AM

Note: This way to do it is wrong, see below.

Code:

bash-3.1$ echo '

154 alfonz novak

154 michael cores

62 jan nedorost

62 martin adrov

' | sort -k1r

62 martin adrov

62 jan nedorost

154 michael cores

154 alfonz novak

so just:

Code:

sort -k1r sort

Telemachos

10-18-2009 10:13 AM

I think this will cover what you're asking for:

Code:

sort -k1,1r -k3 names

(Edited: first shot no good.)

Telemachos

10-18-2009 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H_TeXMeX_H (Post 3723815)

Code:

bash-3.1$ echo '

154 alfonz novak

154 michael cores

62 jan nedorost

62 martin adrov

' | sort -k1r

62 martin adrov

62 jan nedorost

154 michael cores

154 alfonz novak

so just:

Code:

sort -k1r sort

Unless I'm confused, this only reverses the numeric sort on the first field. By coincidence that works on his four names, but what if we add others:

Code:

telemachus ~ $ cat names 

154 alfonz novak

62 ashley barone

154 michael cores

62 jan nedorost

154 albert neumann

62 martin adrov



telemachus ~ $ sort -k1r names 

62 martin adrov

62 jan nedorost

62 ashley barone

154 michael cores

154 alfonz novak

154 albert neumann

You need to add a second -k flag to deal with his second request (namely sort alphabetically by last name after sorting numberically by first field).

H_TeXMeX_H

10-18-2009 10:40 AM

Oh, yeah, oops. You're right, there should be another one, my bad.

wakatana

10-18-2009 03:35 PM

Thanks guys, I did not know I can put another -k options. so my code looks like

Code:

sort -k1n -k3 names

62 martin adrov

62 jan nedorost

154 michael cores

154 alfonz novak

I tried that with one -k options and comma separate columns (according to man page that way I understood syntax).

Just for curiosity what is difference between "-k1n,3" and "-k1n -k3" teoreticaly both should do the same thing but practice is different

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