Re: bin/24756

[David Laight <david%l8s.co.uk@localhost>]

The following reply was made to PR bin/24756; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: David Laight <david%l8s.co.uk@localhost>
To: gnats-bugs%NetBSD.org@localhost
Cc: 
Subject: Re: bin/24756
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:38:35 +0100

 Not a bug!
 The -b affects where the columns of the key are counted from.
 so (with -t:) the file:
 
     5    36.00000
     6
          50.40000
     8    50.40000
     9    64.80000
    12    50.40000
 
 is sorted with the leading spaces of the line removed, ie as if sorting:
 
 5    36.00000
 6
 50.40000
 8    50.40000
 9    64.80000
 12    50.40000
 
 So -k1.6,1.17 is just "000" for the line that only contains "50.40000".
 There is enough whitespace in the other lines for the sort to act as if
 the -b were absent.
 
        David
 
 -- 
 David Laight: david%l8s.co.uk@localhost