sort-numeric-fields sorts incorrectly

[Eric Hanchrow]

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In GNU Emacs 21.4.1 (i486-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll bars)
 of 2006-05-17 on rothera, modified by Debian
configured using `configure '--build=i486-linux-gnu' '--host=i486-linux-gnu' 
'--prefix=/usr' '--sharedstatedir=/var/lib' '--libexecdir=/usr/lib' 
'--localstatedir=/var/lib' '--infodir=/usr/share/info' 
'--mandir=/usr/share/man' '--with-pop=yes' '--with-x=yes' 
'--with-x-toolkit=athena' 'CFLAGS=-DDEBIAN -g -O2' 'build_alias=i486-linux-gnu' 
'host_alias=i486-linux-gnu''
Important settings:
  value of $LC_ALL: nil
  value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
  value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
  value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
  value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
  value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
  value of $LC_TIME: nil
  value of $LANG: en_US.UTF-8
  locale-coding-system: utf-8
  default-enable-multibyte-characters: t

Please describe exactly what actions triggered the bug
and the precise symptoms of the bug:

* Start emacs with --no-site-file -Q
* Erase the *scratch* buffer's contents with C-x h C-w
* Type the following four lines into the *scratch* buffer:
101111
0201111
0401111
301111
* Type M-x sort-numeric-fields RET.  Note that the buffer now contains
0201111
101111
0401111
301111

This is a bug, because 0201111 is greater than 101111, and yet appears before 
it.

Note that this bug also appears in CVS Emacs.

Recent input:
ESC x ESC p RET C-n 0 C-n C-n C-a 0 ESC h C-n ESC x 
ESC p RET C-e 1 C-n 1 C-n 1 C-n 1 ESC h C-n ESC x ESC 
p RET C-e 1 C-n 1 C-n 1 C-n 1 ESC h C-n ESC x ESC p 
RET C-e 1 1 C-n 1 1 C-n 1 1 C-n 1 1 ESC h C-n ESC x 
ESC p RET C-@ C-e ESC w ESC : ESC ( + SPC 1 SPC C-y 
RET C-x u ESC x r e p o r t - e m TAB RET

Recent messages:
load-library: Cannot open load file: multi-occur
Loading sort...done
Transient Mark mode enabled
Undo!
Mark set
sort-skip-fields: Line has too few fields: 
Mark set
201112
Undo!
Loading emacsbug...done