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I’d like to sort a file content with a Unix script depending on a particular column :
ex : sort the following file on the 3rd column :
ax5aa
aa3ya
fg7ds
pp0dd
aa1bb
would result as
pp0dd
aa1bb
aa3ya
ax5aa
fg7ds
I have tried sort -k 3,3, but it just sort on the 3d group of word (separator=SPACE).
Is there any way to have unix sort behave the way I like, or should I use another tool?
man page of sort:
[…]
-k, –key=POS1[,POS2]
start a key at POS1 (origin 1), end it at POS2 (default end of line)
[…]
POS is F[.C][OPTS], where F is the field number and C the character position in the field; both are origin 1. If neither -t nor -b is in effect, characters in a field are counted from the beginning of the preceding whitespace. 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.
With –key=1.3,1.3, you said that there only one field (the entire line) and that you’re comparing the third character position of this field.