Hi,

> Am 09.03.2017 um 16:32 schrieb Peter Kluge <linux-projekt@techno.ms>:
> 
> thanks for the explanation.
> I prefer the "POSIX"-Standard teaching to my participants.

Aha, I didn't check this. Then the "-j" option should be moved to a new section "Deprecated" in the man/info page of the coreutils version too. (And mention the special handling of -j1 resp. -j2, while -j3 … works as one expects.)


> […]
> but it will not work with my files
> peter@SLES11-3:~/kluge/join> cat tn
> 101: Willi Wild: Waltraud Weisnix: Mercedes:A:Profi
> 102: Hans Hirnlos: Nici Blondie: Hummer: D:Profi
> peter@SLES11-3:~/kluge/join> cat sz
> 3h32'27:101:
> 2h55'11:102:
> peter@SLES11-3:~/kluge/join> join  -t:  -j2 2  tn  sz
> :3h32'27:  Wild: Waltraud Weisnix: Mercedes:A:Profi
> :2h55'11: Hirnlos: Nici Blondie: Hummer: D:Profi
> peter@SLES11-3:~/kluge/join> join  -t:   -2 2  tn  sz
> :3h32'27:  Wild: Waltraud Weisnix: Mercedes:A:Profi
> :2h55'11: Hirnlos: Nici Blondie: Hummer: D:Profi
> peter@SLES11-3:~/kluge/join> join  -t:  -1  2  sz  tn
> : Willi Wild: Waltraud Weisnix: Mercedes:A:Profi
> : Hans Hirnlos: Nici Blondie: Hummer: D:Profi
> peter@SLES11-3:~/kluge/join>

For me it's working:

$ join  -t:  -1  2  sz  tn
101:3h32'27:: Willi Wild: Waltraud Weisnix: Mercedes:A:Profi
102:2h55'11:: Hans Hirnlos: Nici Blondie: Hummer: D:Profi

$ join --version
join (GNU coreutils) 8.17

What version do you have in SLES11-3?

-- Reuti