Cheat Sheet #day61

`sort` Command Cheatsheet

The sort command in Unix-like systems is used to sort lines of text files. It is highly configurable and supports various sorting criteria. Here’s a quick reference guide:

Basic Syntax

sort [OPTION]... [FILE]...

Common Options

-o FILE: Write the output to FILE instead of standard output.
```
  sort -o sorted.txt unsorted.txt
```
-n, --numeric-sort: Compare according to string numerical value.
```
  sort -n numbers.txt
```
-r, --reverse: Reverse the result of comparisons.
```
  sort -r file.txt
```
-k FIELD, --key=FIELD: Sort by a specific field. Fields are separated by tabs or spaces.
```
  sort -k 2 file.txt  # Sort by the second field
```

-t CHAR, --field-separator=CHAR: Use CHAR as the field separator (default is whitespace).

  sort -t, -k 1,1 file.txt  # Sort by the first field, assuming fields are separated by commas

-u, --unique: Output only the first of an equal run.
```
  sort -u file.txt
```
-f, --ignore-case: Fold lower case to upper case characters.
```
  sort -f file.txt
```
-u, --unique: Output only the first of an equal run.
```
  sort -u file.txt
```
-b, --ignore-leading-blanks: Ignore leading blanks.
```
  sort -b file.txt
```

Examples

Sort lines in a file alphabetically:
```
 sort file.txt
```
Sort numerically:
```
 sort -n numbers.txt
```
Reverse the order:
```
 sort -r file.txt
```
Sort by the second field:
```
 sort -k 2 file.txt
```
Sort by a custom delimiter (e.g., comma):
```
 sort -t, -k 1,1 file.txt
```
Output unique lines:
```
 sort -u file.txt
```
Ignore case while sorting:
```
 sort -f file.txt
```
Sort ignoring leading blanks:
```
 sort -b file.txt
```
Write sorted output to a file:
```
 sort -o sorted.txt unsorted.txt
```

Additional Information

Help option:
```
  sort --help
```
View sort manual page:
```
  man sort
```

This cheatsheet covers the essential options and usage scenarios for the sort command. For more advanced features and details, refer to the man page or use sort --help.