GNU bug report logs - #76290
"sort -u" vs "sort -h -u": possible bug

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From: help-debbugs <at> gnu.org (GNU bug Tracking System)
To: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
Cc: tracker <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#76290: closed ("sort -u" vs "sort -h -u": possible bug)
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2025 06:26:02 +0000

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Your message dated Mon, 17 Feb 2025 22:25:12 -0800
with message-id <2e3f214d-7a81-4bd2-ac7c-86943be3c89c <at> cs.ucla.edu>
and subject line Re: bug#76290: "sort -u" vs "sort -h -u": possible bug
has caused the debbugs.gnu.org bug report #76290,
regarding "sort -u" vs "sort -h -u": possible bug
to be marked as done.

(If you believe you have received this mail in error, please contact
help-debbugs <at> gnu.org.)


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76290: https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=76290
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From: Rupert Gallagher <ruga <at> protonmail.com>
To: "bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org" <bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org>
Subject: "sort -u" vs "sort -h -u": possible bug
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2025 15:44:34 +0000

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>echo -e "CVE-2018-13787\nCVE-2019-16649\nCVE-2019-16650\nCVE-2020-15046\nCVE-2018-13787"
CVE-2018-13787 <---
CVE-2019-16649
CVE-2019-16650
CVE-2020-15046CVE-2018-13787 <---

>echo -e "CVE-2018-13787\nCVE-2019-16649\nCVE-2019-16650\nCVE-2020-15046\nCVE-2018-13787" | sort
CVE-2018-13787 <---
CVE-2018-13787 <---
CVE-2019-16649
CVE-2019-16650
CVE-2020-15046

>echo -e "CVE-2018-13787\nCVE-2019-16649\nCVE-2019-16650\nCVE-2020-15046\nCVE-2018-13787" | sort -u
CVE-2018-13787 <---
CVE-2019-16649
CVE-2019-16650
CVE-2020-15046

Problem:

>echo -e "CVE-2018-13787\nCVE-2019-16649\nCVE-2019-16650\nCVE-2020-15046\nCVE-2018-13787" | sort -h -uCVE-2018-13787

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From: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
To: Rupert Gallagher <ruga <at> protonmail.com>
Cc: 76290-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#76290: "sort -u" vs "sort -h -u": possible bug
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2025 22:25:12 -0800

On 2025-02-17 15:13, Rupert Gallagher via GNU coreutils Bug Reports wrote:
> I expect the program to do exactly what the manual says.

Here's what the manual says about -u in 
<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/sort-invocation.html#index-uniquifying-output>:

>     Normally, output only the first of a sequence of lines that compare equal....
> 
>     This option also disables the default last-resort comparison.
> 
>     The commands sort -u and sort | uniq are equivalent, but this equivalence does not extend to arbitrary sort options. For example, sort -n -u inspects only the value of the initial numeric string when checking for uniqueness, whereas sort -n | uniq inspects the entire line.

This is the part of the manual that you're disagreeing with. The example 
in my previous email (an example that you did not reply to) is a 
demonstration of this part of the manual.

I am taking the liberty of closing this bug report, as "sort" is 
behaving as documented here.

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