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Subject: |
(echo a; echo b) | sort -nu looses some data |
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Date: |
Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:33:09 +0100 |
Sort with -n and -u options works correctly for numbers:
(echo 10; echo 11) | sort -nu
10
11
but looses data when used with non-numbers:
(echo a; echo b) | sort -nu
a
(echo 1.0; echo 1.1) | sort -nu
1.0
I have tested this on versions 8.32 and 9.2 default for Debian 11 and
12, and additionally compiled version 9.4. The --debug option advised in
README does not say anything helpful:
(echo a; echo b) | sort --debug -nu
sort: text ordering performed using simple byte comparison
a
^ no match for key
R.
--
„Walczy on z całym zapamiętaniem przeciwko intelektowi” - z akt personalnych
prof. A. Baeumlera
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--- Begin Message ---
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Subject: |
Re: bug#69901: (echo a; echo b) | sort -nu looses some data |
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Date: |
Tue, 19 Mar 2024 15:07:01 -0700 |
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User-agent: |
Mozilla Thunderbird |
On 3/19/24 08:33, Rafal Maszkowski wrote:
he --debug option advised in
README does not say anything helpful:
(echo a; echo b) | sort --debug -nu
sort: text ordering performed using simple byte comparison
a
^ no match for key
That diagnostic message is helpful. It's telling you that there's no
number, so everything sorts as being the same, which means 'sort -nu'
(correctly) outputs just one line.
'sort' has behaved this way for quite some time, and POSIX requires this
behavior.
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