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6.1.29 sort

Usage:

   sort [-down] [-nullsfirst] <key-list>

Sorts the table according to the value of one or more algebraic expressions. The sort key expressions appear, as separate (space-separated) words, in <key-list>; sorting is done on the first expression first, but if that results in a tie then the second one is used, and so on.

Each expression must evaluate to a type that it makes sense to sort, for instance numeric. If the -down flag is used, the sort order is descending rather than ascending.

Blank entries are by default considered to come at the end of the collation sequence, but if the -nullsfirst flag is given then they are considered to come at the start instead.

Syntax for the <key-list> argument is described in Section 10.


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STILTS - Starlink Tables Infrastructure Library Tool Set
Starlink User Note256
STILTS web page: http://www.starlink.ac.uk/stilts/
Author email: m.b.taylor@bristol.ac.uk
Mailing list: topcat-user@jiscmail.ac.uk