[gentoo-amd64] sort error

[gentoo-amd64] sort error

[P.V.Anthony]

Hi,

I am having a problem doing a simple sort. The sorting just does not
work with the command sort.

In a directory are the following files,

access.log.0
access.log.1
access.log.10
access.log.11
access.log.12
access.log.13
access.log.14
access.log.15
access.log.16
access.log.17
access.log.18
access.log.19
access.log.2
access.log.20
access.log.21
access.log.3
access.log.4
access.log.5
access.log.6
access.log.7
access.log.8
access.log.9

Did the following command,

#ls access.log.* | sort -n +0.11

Got the following error,
#sort: open failed: +0.11: No such file or directory

What am I doing wrong?

Tried puting the list of files into a file called "testing" then did the
following command,
#sort -n +0.11 testing

Still same error,
#sort: open failed: +0.11: No such file or directory

How to correct this?

P.V.Anthony

Re: [gentoo-amd64] sort error

[Barry Schwartz]

"P.V.Anthony" <pvantony@singnet.com.sg> skribis:
> How to correct this?

"info coreutils sort" has examples. I'd have to RTFM myself to find
out how to do what you are trying, though. :)

Re: [gentoo-amd64] sort error

[Paul Hartman]

On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 2:41 PM, P.V.Anthony <pvantony@singnet.com.sg> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am having a problem doing a simple sort. The sorting just does not
> work with the command sort.
>
> In a directory are the following files,
>
> access.log.0
> access.log.1
> access.log.10
> access.log.11
> access.log.12
> access.log.13
> access.log.14
> access.log.15
> access.log.16
> access.log.17
> access.log.18
> access.log.19
> access.log.2
> access.log.20
> access.log.21
> access.log.3
> access.log.4
> access.log.5
> access.log.6
> access.log.7
> access.log.8
> access.log.9
>
> Did the following command,
>
> #ls access.log.* | sort -n +0.11
>
> Got the following error,
> #sort: open failed: +0.11: No such file or directory
>
> What am I doing wrong?
>
> Tried puting the list of files into a file called "testing" then did the
> following command,
> #sort -n +0.11 testing
>
> Still same error,
> #sort: open failed: +0.11: No such file or directory
>
> How to correct this?

Hi,

I just tried it on Windows (cygwin... I'm at work) and it worked as
expected. Maybe the + character needs to be escaped in your shell?

Paul

Re: [gentoo-amd64] sort error

[Paul Hartman]

On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 3:05 PM, Paul Hartman
<paul.hartman+gentoo@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 2:41 PM, P.V.Anthony <pvantony@singnet.com.sg> wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am having a problem doing a simple sort. The sorting just does not
>> work with the command sort.
>>
>> In a directory are the following files,
>>
>> access.log.0
>> access.log.1
>> access.log.10
>> access.log.11
>> access.log.12
>> access.log.13
>> access.log.14
>> access.log.15
>> access.log.16
>> access.log.17
>> access.log.18
>> access.log.19
>> access.log.2
>> access.log.20
>> access.log.21
>> access.log.3
>> access.log.4
>> access.log.5
>> access.log.6
>> access.log.7
>> access.log.8
>> access.log.9
>>
>> Did the following command,
>>
>> #ls access.log.* | sort -n +0.11
>>
>> Got the following error,
>> #sort: open failed: +0.11: No such file or directory
>>
>> What am I doing wrong?
>>
>> Tried puting the list of files into a file called "testing" then did the
>> following command,
>> #sort -n +0.11 testing
>>
>> Still same error,
>> #sort: open failed: +0.11: No such file or directory
>>
>> How to correct this?
>

I found your solution by reading the manual. The syntax you use is obsolete:

"On older systems, `sort' supports an obsolete origin-zero syntax
`+POS1 [-POS2]' for specifying sort keys.  This obsolete behavior can
be enabled or disabled with the `_POSIX2_VERSION' environment variable
(*note Standards conformance::); it can also be enabled when
`POSIXLY_CORRECT' is not set by using the obsolete syntax with `-POS2'
present."

After setting that environment variable, it works as you expected.

_POSIX2_VERSION=1 sort -n +0.11 testing

Thanks,
Paul

[gentoo-amd64] Re: sort error

[Duncan]

"P.V.Anthony" <pvantony@singnet.com.sg> posted
48EFAFF7.2050708@singnet.com.sg, excerpted below, on  Sat, 11 Oct 2008
03:41:43 +0800:

> Hi,
> 
> I am having a problem doing a simple sort. The sorting just does not
> work with the command sort.
> 
> In a directory are the following files,
> 
> access.log.0
> access.log.1
> access.log.10
> access.log.11
> access.log.12
> access.log.13
> access.log.14
> access.log.15
> access.log.16
> access.log.17
> access.log.18
> access.log.19
> access.log.2
> access.log.20
> access.log.21
> access.log.3
> access.log.4
> access.log.5
> access.log.6
> access.log.7
> access.log.8
> access.log.9
> 
> Did the following command,
> 
> #ls access.log.* | sort -n +0.11
> 
> Got the following error,
> #sort: open failed: +0.11: No such file or directory
> 
> What am I doing wrong?
> 
> Tried puting the list of files into a file called "testing" then did the
> following command,
> #sort -n +0.11 testing
> 
> Still same error,
> #sort: open failed: +0.11: No such file or directory
> 
> How to correct this?

You're using an obsolete (and ambiguous) syntax.  I discovered this by 
first reading the manpage, which didn't mention that syntax (but did 
mention the -k option, the newer syntax), but /did/ mention that for 
complete documentation refer to the info page coreutils "sort 
invocation", which I did.  That confirmed what I has already suspected, 
that you were using an obsolete syntax, with an explanation of why it's 
obsolete (it's ambiguous, the other reading being how it interprets it 
now, as a filename) and instructions for getting the old behavior if 
still desired, tho it's now discouraged.

So either check the manpage and use -k and an origin-1 sort key instead, 
or follow thru to the info page and read up on how to get it to interpret 
the obsolete origin-0 sort key you are trying to feed it.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

Re: [gentoo-amd64] sort error

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

On Friday 10 October 2008, 21:41, P.V.Anthony wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I am having a problem doing a simple sort. The sorting just does not
> work with the command sort.
>
> In a directory are the following files,
>
> access.log.0
> access.log.1
> access.log.10
> access.log.11
> access.log.12
> access.log.13
> access.log.14
> access.log.15
> access.log.16
> access.log.17
> access.log.18
> access.log.19
> access.log.2
> access.log.20
> access.log.21
> access.log.3
> access.log.4
> access.log.5
> access.log.6
> access.log.7
> access.log.8
> access.log.9
>
> Did the following command,
>
> #ls access.log.* | sort -n +0.11
>
> Got the following error,
> #sort: open failed: +0.11: No such file or directory

ls access.log.* | sort -n -k1.12

Re: [gentoo-amd64] sort error

[P.V.Anthony]

Etaoin Shrdlu wrote:

> ls access.log.* | sort -n -k1.12

Works great. Thank you very much.

P.V.Anthony

Re: [gentoo-amd64] Re: sort error

[P.V.Anthony]

Duncan wrote:

> You're using an obsolete (and ambiguous) syntax.  I discovered this by 
> first reading the manpage, which didn't mention that syntax (but did 
> mention the -k option, the newer syntax), but /did/ mention that for 
> complete documentation refer to the info page coreutils "sort 
> invocation", which I did.  That confirmed what I has already suspected, 
> that you were using an obsolete syntax, with an explanation of why it's 
> obsolete (it's ambiguous, the other reading being how it interprets it 
> now, as a filename) and instructions for getting the old behavior if 
> still desired, tho it's now discouraged.
> 
> So either check the manpage and use -k and an origin-1 sort key instead, 
> or follow thru to the info page and read up on how to get it to interpret 
> the obsolete origin-0 sort key you are trying to feed it.

I did try the man pages and the info pages but I did not understand
them. I will read them again.

Thank you for the advice.

P.V.Anthony

Re: [gentoo-amd64] sort error

[P.V.Anthony]

Paul Hartman wrote:

> I found your solution by reading the manual. The syntax you use is obsolete:
> 
> "On older systems, `sort' supports an obsolete origin-zero syntax
> `+POS1 [-POS2]' for specifying sort keys.  This obsolete behavior can
> be enabled or disabled with the `_POSIX2_VERSION' environment variable
> (*note Standards conformance::); it can also be enabled when
> `POSIXLY_CORRECT' is not set by using the obsolete syntax with `-POS2'
> present."
> 
> After setting that environment variable, it works as you expected.
> 
> _POSIX2_VERSION=1 sort -n +0.11 testing

Thank you for sharing this version of the solution. Will remember that
this is an obsolete method.

Once again thank you all for sharing and helping me out.

P.V.Anthony