sort first two fields in numeric order

[Robert Felps]

In <1991Jun18.222520.7816 at drd.com> mark at drd.com (Mark Lawrence) writes:

>I've got a file with tab separated columns of stuff that I
>expand to pretty tabstops and sort.  I want to sort the file 
>primarily on the first column and then on the second, both
>numerically.  No problem, right?

>expand -5 foo | sort +0n -1n 

>should treat both the first and second columns as numerics
>and sort them in that order.  It don't.  I get:

>16  0
>16  1
>16  10
>16  19
>16  2
>16  21

>I'm missing something terribly obvious here.  Comments?

Well, obvious, probably not terribly though. Try,

   expand -5 foo | sort +0n +1n

or

   expand -5 foo | sort +0n -1n +1n -2n

>From the sort man page:
     The notation +pos1 -pos2 restricts a sort key to a field
     beginning at pos1 and ending just before pos2.
                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The +Col +Col format, as in example 1, doesn't provide an ending
column because it is not necessary. As the SYNOPSIS line shows
if pos1 is specified pos2 is optional.

     sort [ -mubdfinrctx ] [ +pos1  [ -pos2 ] ] ...  [ -o name ]
     [ -T directory ] [ name ] ...


>-- 
>mark at drd.com
>mark at jnoc.go.jp  $B!J%^!<%/!&%i%l%s%9!K(B  Nihil novum sub solem

Hope this helps,
Robert Felps            I do not speak for  felps at convex.com
Convex Computer Corp    Convex and I seldom Product Specialist
3000 Waterview Parkway  speak for myself.   Tech. Assistant Ctr
Richardson, Tx.  75080  VMS? What's that?   1(800) 952-0379