Library: Microsoft Windows 7 Command Reference

SORT

 
SORT [/R] [/+n] [/M kilobytes] [/L locale] [/REC recordbytes]

  [[drive1:][path1]filename1] [/T [drive2:][path2]]

  [/O [drive3:][path3]filename3]

  /+n                         Specifies the character number, n, to

                              begin each comparison.  /+3 indicates that

                              each comparison should begin at the 3rd

                              character in each line.  Lines with fewer

                              than n characters collate before other lines.

                              By default comparisons start at the first

                              character in each line.

  /L[OCALE] locale            Overrides the system default locale with

                              the specified one.  The ""C"" locale yields

                              the fastest collating sequence and is

                              currently the only alternative.  The sort

                              is always case insensitive.

  /M[EMORY] kilobytes         Specifies amount of main memory to use for

                              the sort, in kilobytes.  The memory size is

                              always constrained to be a minimum of 160

                              kilobytes.  If the memory size is specified

                              the exact amount will be used for the sort,

                              regardless of how much main memory is

                              available.



                              The best performance is usually achieved by

                              not specifying a memory size.  By default the

                              sort will be done with one pass (no temporary

                              file) if it fits in the default maximum

                              memory size, otherwise the sort will be done

                              in two passes (with the partially sorted data

                              being stored in a temporary file) such that

                              the amounts of memory used for both the sort

                              and merge passes are equal.  The default

                              maximum memory size is 90% of available main

                              memory if both the input and output are

                              files, and 45% of main memory otherwise.

  /REC[ORD_MAXIMUM] characters Specifies the maximum number of characters

                              in a record (default 4096, maximum 65535).

  /R[EVERSE]                  Reverses the sort order; that is,

                              sorts Z to A, then 9 to 0.

  [drive1:][path1]filename1   Specifies the file to be sorted.  If not

                              specified, the standard input is sorted.

                              Specifying the input file is faster than

                              redirecting the same file as standard input.

  /T[EMPORARY]

    [drive2:][path2]          Specifies the path of the directory to hold

                              the sort's working storage, in case the data

                              does not fit in main memory.  The default is

                              to use the system temporary directory.

  /O[UTPUT]

    [drive3:][path3]filename3 Specifies the file where the sorted input is

                              to be stored.  If not specified, the data is

                              written to the standard output.   Specifying

                              the output file is faster than redirecting

                              standard output to the same file.

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