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POHow to sort files numerically from linux command line
 

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    <p>Okay, now this is more a rant about Linux than a question, but maybe someone knows how to do what I want. I know this <em>can</em> be <em>achieved</em> using the <code>sort</code> command, but I want a better solution because getting that to work is about as easy as writing a C program to do the same thing.</p> <p>I have files, for arguments sake, lets say I have these files: (my files are the same I just have many more)</p> <ul> <li>file-10.xml</li> <li>file-20.xml</li> <li>file-100.xml</li> <li>file-k10.xml</li> <li>file-k20.xml</li> <li>file-k100.xml</li> <li>file-M10.xml</li> <li>file-M20.xml</li> <li>file-M100.xml</li> </ul> <p>Now this turns out to be the order I want them sorted in. Incidentally, this is the order <em>in Windows</em> that they are by default sorted into. That's nice. Windows groups consecutive numerical characters into <em>one effective character</em> which sorts alphabetically before letters.</p> <p>If I type <code>ls</code> at the linux command line, I get the following garbage. Notice the 20 is displaced. This is a bigger deal when I have hundreds of these files that I want to view in a report, in order.</p> <ul> <li>file-100.xml</li> <li>file-10.xml</li> <li>file-20.xml</li> <li>file-k100.xml</li> <li>file-k10.xml</li> <li>file-k20.xml</li> <li>file-M100.xml</li> <li>file-M10.xml</li> <li>file-M20.xml</li> </ul> <p>I can use <code>ls -1 | sort -n -k 1.6</code> to get the ones without 'k' or 'M' correct...</p> <ul> <li>file-k100.xml</li> <li>file-k10.xml</li> <li>file-k20.xml</li> <li>file-M100.xml</li> <li>file-M10.xml</li> <li>file-M20.xml</li> <li>file-10.xml</li> <li>file-20.xml</li> <li>file-100.xml</li> </ul> <p>I can use <code>ls -1 | sort -n -k 1.7</code> to get none of it correct</p> <ul> <li>file-100.xml</li> <li>file-10.xml</li> <li>file-20.xml</li> <li>file-k10.xml</li> <li>file-M10.xml</li> <li>file-k20.xml</li> <li>file-M20.xml</li> <li>file-k100.xml</li> <li>file-M100.xml</li> </ul> <p>Okay, fine. Let's really get it right. <code>ls -1 | grep "file-[0-9]*\.xml" | sort -n -k1.6 &amp;&amp; ls -1 file-k*.xml | sort -n -k1.7 &amp;&amp; ls -1 file-M*.xml | sort -n -k1.7</code></p> <ul> <li>file-10.xml</li> <li>file-20.xml</li> <li>file-100.xml</li> <li>file-k10.xml</li> <li>file-k20.xml</li> <li>file-k100.xml</li> <li>file-M10.xml</li> <li>file-M20.xml</li> <li>file-M100.xml</li> </ul> <p>Whew! Boy glad the "power of the linux command line" saved me there. (This isn't practical for my situation, because instead of <code>ls -1</code> I have a command that is another line or two long)</p> <p>Now, the Windows behavior is simple, elegant, and does what you want it to do 99% of the time. Why can't I have that in linux? Why oh why does <code>sort</code> not have a "automagic sort numbers in a way that doesn't make me bang head into wall" switch?</p> <p>Here's the pseudo-code for C++:</p> <pre><code>bool compare_two_strings_to_avoid_head_injury(string a, string b) { string::iterator ai = a.begin(); string::iterator bi = b.begin(); for(; ai != a.end() &amp;&amp; bi != b.end(); ai++, bi++) { if (*ai is numerical) gobble up the number incrementing ai past numerical chars; if (*bi is numerical) gobble up the number incrementing bi past numerical chars; actually compare *ai and *bi and/or the gobbled up number(s) here to determine if we need to compare more chars or can return the answer now; } return something here; } </code></pre> <p>Was that so hard? Can someone put this in sort and send me a copy? Please?</p>
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    1. COYou could have saved yourself a bit of pain by padding the numeric fields to the same length with leading zeroes, instead of relying on platform-specific quirks to get the sort order you want. Just sayin'....
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      1. POHow to sort files numerically from linux command line
      1. USJim Lewis
    2. COI will point out that maybe the Windows behavior does what _you_ want it to do 99% of the time, but it's not fair to say that it does what everyone wants 99% of the time. As a matter of fact I could just as well make the same complaint about Windows' sorting that you've made about Linux's sorting. (It would be nice to have this as an _option_ to `sort` though)
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      1. USDavid Z
    3. COWhat is the programming question here? If you just want to sort filenames, somebody at http://superuser.com might be able to help.
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      1. USGabe
 

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