.CD "sort \(en sort a file of ASCII lines"
.SX "sort\fR [\fB\(enbcdf\&imnru\fR]\fR [\fB\(ent\fIc\fR]  [\fB\(eno \fIname\fR] [\fB+\fIpos1\fR] [\fB\(en\fIpos2\fR] \fIfile\fR ..."
.FL "\(enb" "Skip leading blanks when making comparisons"
.FL "\(enc" "Check to see if a file is sorted"
.FL "\(end" "Dictionary order: ignore punctuation"
.FL "\(enf" "Fold upper case onto lower case"
.FL "\(eni" "Ignore nonASCII characters"
.FL "\(enm" "Merge presorted files"
.FL "\(enn" "Numeric sort order"
.FL "\(eno" "Next argument is output file"
.FL "\(enr" "Reverse the sort order"
.FL "\(ent" "Following character is field separator"
.FL "\(enu" "Unique mode (delete duplicate lines)"
.EX "sort \(ennr file" "Sort keys numerically, reversed"
.EX "sort +2 \(en4 file" "Sort using fields 2 and 3 as key"
.EX "sort +2 \(ent: \(eno out" "Field separator is \fI:\fP"
.EX "sort +.3 \(en.6" "Characters 3 through 5 form the key"
.PP
.I Sort
sorts one or more files.
If no files are specified, \fIstdin\fR is sorted.
Output is written on standard output, unless \fB\(eno\fP is specified.
The options \fB+\fIpos1 \fB\(en\fIpos2\fR use only fields \fIpos1\fR
up to but not including \fIpos2\fR as the sort key, where a field is a
string of characters delimited by spaces and tabs, unless a different field
delimiter is specified with \fB\(ent\fR.
Both \fIpos1\fR and \fIpos2\fR have the form \fIm.n\fR where \fIm\fR tells
the number of fields and \fIn\fR tells the number of characters.
Either \fIm\fR or \fIn\fR may be omitted.