What Is tkSort?


This application is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to the Unix sort command. Sort has the ability to sort, merge, or compare whether files are already sorted, based on some kind of key. For more details on sorting by keys, or columns, check out the Column Definitions file, or the sort manpage.

What would you use tkSort for? Well suppose you wanted an electronic address book. You explore the Microsoft world and find all their products cost $50. "Fifty bucks for an address book? Hell, I will make my own!" you exclaim with proud defiance only found in the Linux community. So you start your little project by creating the file address.prn in the following manner:

King, David|1111 Wakegan Ave.|Chicago|IL|77345
Grabbe, Shon|234 N. Taft|Sacramento|CA|34234
and so on until you have all your addresses in the file. Being the Shell wizard that you are, you create a script which prompts you to enter new data into the file. But now you want to see what is in your little address book database. Let's start with the obvious, you want to see an alphabetical listing.
        sort -d'|' -k1 address.prn
Did you get that? How about sorting by alphabetical street address?
        sort -nd'|' +1.0 address.prn
What is the difference between the two commands? If you don't know, or don't remember, then tkSort can help you. With this simple example, you can see the power of tkSort. A simple way to organize your numerical data, database files, and any other kind of file which needs to be sorted, without the pain of remember the Command Line Options.


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