IDEA: Natural line sorting in file

[TucknDar]

Ok, I suppose any decent text editor should be able to sort lines based on alphabet or numbers, but I'm looking for a tool that can sort lines based on Natural order sorting, i.e.

from this:

1. some text
10. yet more text
1011. Text
2. more text again
4. more text

to:

1. some text
2. more text again
4. more text
10. yet more text
1011. Text

No GUI necessary, btw. command line tool would be perfect

thanks!

[kfitting]

See the following websites for more general info:
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001018.html
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/string/NaturalSortComparer.aspx

I've done an algorithm for excel using the Windows API function in XP... someone might be able to use that to simplify things.

Kevin

[skwire]

No GUI necessary, btw. command line tool would be perfect

The Unix "sort -n" command will do this easily. 

Code

skwire@hankoku ~
$ clip
1. some text
10. yet more text
1011. Text
2. more text again
4. more text

skwire@hankoku ~
$ clip | sort -n
1. some text
2. more text again
4. more text
10. yet more text
1011. Text

skwire@hankoku ~

I've attached a Win32 binary version of the Unix sort command.

sort.zip (30.1 KB)

[TucknDar]

Thanks, skwier, works great