SORT Windows Command Guide
The Windows sort command is used to alphabetically sort the contents of a text file and display the results in the Command Prompt window. This command is helpful for organizing data in a specific order based on characters or numbers. By default, the sort command arranges the text in ascending order, but you can also specify options to customize the sorting process.
SORT Syntax:
Section titled “SORT Syntax:”sort [option] [file]Options:
Section titled “Options:”| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| /? | Displays help at the command prompt. |
| /+n | Skips the first ‘n-1’ fields before sorting. |
| /R | Reverses the sort order (descending). |
Parameters:
Section titled “Parameters:”| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| file | Specifies the file to be sorted. |
SORT Command Samples:
Section titled “SORT Command Samples:”Sort a File Alphabetically
Section titled “Sort a File Alphabetically”sort input.txtThis command sorts the lines in the file “input.txt” in alphabetical order.
Sort a File Numerically
Section titled “Sort a File Numerically”sort /n input.txtSorts the lines in the file “input.txt” numerically.
Sort File in Reverse Order
Section titled “Sort File in Reverse Order”sort /r input.txtArranges the lines in the file “input.txt” in reverse order.
Sort Multiple Files and Display Unique Lines
Section titled “Sort Multiple Files and Display Unique Lines”sort /u file1.txt file2.txtCombines and sorts the contents of “file1.txt” and “file2.txt,” displaying only unique lines.
Sort and Output to a New File
Section titled “Sort and Output to a New File”sort input.txt > sorted_output.txtSorts the lines in “input.txt” and saves the sorted output to a new file named “sorted_output.txt.”
Case-Insensitive Sorting
Section titled “Case-Insensitive Sorting”sort /i input.txtSorts the content in “input.txt” while ignoring differences in case sensitivity.
Sort a File with Custom Delimiter
Section titled “Sort a File with Custom Delimiter”sort /t"," /+2 input.csvSorts the lines in a CSV file “input.csv” using a comma as the delimiter and starting from the third column.
SORT FAQ:
Section titled “SORT FAQ:”How do I use sort in Windows?
Section titled “How do I use sort in Windows?”To use the sort command in Windows, execute the following command:
sort <filename>How can I sort a file in reverse order in Windows?
Section titled “How can I sort a file in reverse order in Windows?”To sort a file in reverse order using the sort command in Windows, you can use the /r option. Here’s an example:
sort /r <filename>What is the command to sort a file and remove duplicate lines in Windows?
Section titled “What is the command to sort a file and remove duplicate lines in Windows?”To sort a file and remove duplicate lines using the sort command in Windows, you can use the /unique option. Here’s an example:
sort /unique <filename>How can I sort a file numerically in Windows?
Section titled “How can I sort a file numerically in Windows?”To sort a file numerically using the sort command in Windows, you can use the /n option. Here’s an example:
sort /n <filename>How do I ignore leading blanks when sorting in Windows?
Section titled “How do I ignore leading blanks when sorting in Windows?”To ignore leading blanks when sorting in Windows using the sort command, you can use the /+<n> option where <n> is the number of characters to ignore. Here’s an example:
sort /+2 <filename>Can I sort multiple files at once in Windows using the sort command?
Section titled “Can I sort multiple files at once in Windows using the sort command?”Yes, you can sort multiple files at once in Windows using the sort command by specifying the filenames separated by spaces. Here’s an example:
sort file1.txt file2.txtApplications of the SORT Command
Section titled “Applications of the SORT Command”- Arrange data in alphabetical order
- Sort data in descending order
- Remove duplicates from a list
- Organize data in numerical order
- Merge and sort multiple files
- Customize sorting criteria with different options