GNU bug report logs - #24906
gnu sort, what am I doing wrong?

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Arnold Robbins <arnold <at> skeeve.com>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: gnu sort, what am I doing wrong?
Date: Wed, 09 Nov 2016 06:23:06 +0200

Hi.

I'm trying to sort by the fifth field and then numerically in reverse
order by the sixth field. 

$ sort --version
sort (GNU coreutils) 8.25

Here's my data:

$ cat checkbook.txt 
# Year : Month : Day : Recipient : D / W : Amount
2015:11:9:Joe's Coffee:W:5.00
2015:11:12:Mary's Doughnuts:W:5.00
2015:12:10:Joe's Coffee:W:10.00
2015:12:15:Mary's Doughnuts:W:10.00
2016:1:2:Hank's Party Store:W:35.00
2016:1:31:O'Reilly Media:D:100.00

And here's what I'm doing:

$ grep -v ^# checkbook.txt | sort -t: -k5 -k6rg
2016:1:31:O'Reilly Media:D:100.00
2015:12:10:Joe's Coffee:W:10.00
2015:12:15:Mary's Doughnuts:W:10.00
2016:1:2:Hank's Party Store:W:35.00
2015:11:12:Mary's Doughnuts:W:5.00
2015:11:9:Joe's Coffee:W:5.00

Why aren't these sorted by amounts in descending order?
What am I missing?

Thanks,

Arnold

Message #8 received at 24906 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Assaf Gordon <assafgordon <at> gmail.com>
To: Arnold Robbins <arnold <at> skeeve.com>
Cc: 24906 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#24906: gnu sort, what am I doing wrong?
Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2016 01:14:35 -0500

Hello Arnold,

> On Nov 8, 2016, at 23:23, Arnold Robbins <arnold <at> skeeve.com> wrote:
> 
> $ grep -v ^# checkbook.txt | sort -t: -k5 -k6rg
> [...]
> Why aren't these sorted by amounts in descending order?
> What am I missing?

The option "-k5" means "field 5 till the end of the line", which includes field 6.
e.g "W:10.00" sorts before "W:35.00".
You likely want "-k5,5" which means "field 5 only".

The "--debug" option will show which part of each line is taken as the sorting key:
===
$ grep -v ^# checkbook.txt | sort --debug -t: -k5 -k6rg
sort: using ‘en_US.UTF-8’ sorting rules
sort: key 2 is numeric and spans multiple fields
2016:1:31:O'Reilly Media:D:100.00
                         ________
                           ______
_________________________________
2015:12:10:Joe's Coffee:W:10.00
                        _______
                          _____
_______________________________
2015:12:15:Mary's Doughnuts:W:10.00
                            _______
                              _____
___________________________________
2016:1:2:Hank's Party Store:W:35.00
                            _______
                              _____
___________________________________
2015:11:12:Mary's Doughnuts:W:5.00
                            ______
                              ____
__________________________________
2015:11:9:Joe's Coffee:W:5.00
                       ______
                         ____
_____________________________

===

versus:

===
$ grep -v ^# checkbook.txt | sort --debug -t: -k5,5 -k6,6rg
sort: using ‘en_US.UTF-8’ sorting rules
2016:1:31:O'Reilly Media:D:100.00
                         _
                           ______
_________________________________
2016:1:2:Hank's Party Store:W:35.00
                            _
                              _____
___________________________________
2015:12:10:Joe's Coffee:W:10.00
                        _
                          _____
_______________________________
2015:12:15:Mary's Doughnuts:W:10.00
                            _
                              _____
___________________________________
2015:11:12:Mary's Doughnuts:W:5.00
                            _
                              ____
__________________________________
2015:11:9:Joe's Coffee:W:5.00
                       _
                         ____
_____________________________
===

regards,
 - assaf

Message #11 received at 24906 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: arnold <at> skeeve.com
To: assafgordon <at> gmail.com, arnold <at> skeeve.com
Cc: 24906 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#24906: gnu sort, what am I doing wrong?
Date: Wed, 09 Nov 2016 07:11:23 -0700

Hi Assaf.

Much thanks for the explanation. That makes sense and helps a lot.

Arnold

Assaf Gordon <assafgordon <at> gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello Arnold,
>
> > On Nov 8, 2016, at 23:23, Arnold Robbins <arnold <at> skeeve.com> wrote:
> > 
> > $ grep -v ^# checkbook.txt | sort -t: -k5 -k6rg
> > [...]
> > Why aren't these sorted by amounts in descending order?
> > What am I missing?
>
> The option "-k5" means "field 5 till the end of the line", which includes field 6.
> e.g "W:10.00" sorts before "W:35.00".
> You likely want "-k5,5" which means "field 5 only".
>
> The "--debug" option will show which part of each line is taken as the sorting key:
> ===
> $ grep -v ^# checkbook.txt | sort --debug -t: -k5 -k6rg
> sort: using ‘en_US.UTF-8’ sorting rules
> sort: key 2 is numeric and spans multiple fields
> 2016:1:31:O'Reilly Media:D:100.00
>                          ________
>                            ______
> _________________________________
> 2015:12:10:Joe's Coffee:W:10.00
>                         _______
>                           _____
> _______________________________
> 2015:12:15:Mary's Doughnuts:W:10.00
>                             _______
>                               _____
> ___________________________________
> 2016:1:2:Hank's Party Store:W:35.00
>                             _______
>                               _____
> ___________________________________
> 2015:11:12:Mary's Doughnuts:W:5.00
>                             ______
>                               ____
> __________________________________
> 2015:11:9:Joe's Coffee:W:5.00
>                        ______
>                          ____
> _____________________________
>
> ===
>
> versus:
>
> ===
> $ grep -v ^# checkbook.txt | sort --debug -t: -k5,5 -k6,6rg
> sort: using ‘en_US.UTF-8’ sorting rules
> 2016:1:31:O'Reilly Media:D:100.00
>                          _
>                            ______
> _________________________________
> 2016:1:2:Hank's Party Store:W:35.00
>                             _
>                               _____
> ___________________________________
> 2015:12:10:Joe's Coffee:W:10.00
>                         _
>                           _____
> _______________________________
> 2015:12:15:Mary's Doughnuts:W:10.00
>                             _
>                               _____
> ___________________________________
> 2015:11:12:Mary's Doughnuts:W:5.00
>                             _
>                               ____
> __________________________________
> 2015:11:9:Joe's Coffee:W:5.00
>                        _
>                          ____
> _____________________________
> ===
>
> regards,
>  - assaf
>

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