From a2434d3e58e8ead6c4c92fd989da32fe648e1545 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Paul Eggert Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:02:25 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] sort: improve --help Problem reported by Jorge Stolfi (bug#66253). * src/sort.c (usage): Suggest looking at the manual for -n details. --- doc/coreutils.texi | 12 ++++++++---- src/sort.c | 3 ++- 2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/doc/coreutils.texi b/doc/coreutils.texi index ee3b1ce11a..be4b610be8 100644 --- a/doc/coreutils.texi +++ b/doc/coreutils.texi @@ -4678,18 +4678,22 @@ can change this. @opindex --numeric-sort @opindex --sort @cindex numeric sort +@vindex LC_CTYPE @vindex LC_NUMERIC Sort numerically. The number begins each line and consists of optional blanks, an optional @samp{-} sign, and zero or more digits possibly separated by thousands separators, optionally followed by a decimal-point character and zero or more digits. An empty -number is treated as @samp{0}. The @env{LC_NUMERIC} -locale specifies the decimal-point character and thousands separator. -By default a blank is a space or a tab, but the @env{LC_CTYPE} locale -can change this. +number is treated as @samp{0}. Signs on zeros and leading zeros do +not affect ordering. Comparison is exact; there is no rounding error. +The @env{LC_CTYPE} locale specifies which characters are blanks and +the @env{LC_NUMERIC} locale specifies the thousands separator and +decimal-point character. In the C locale, spaces and tabs are blanks, +there is no thousands separator, and @samp{.} is the decimal point. + Neither a leading @samp{+} nor exponential notation is recognized. To compare such strings numerically, use the @option{--general-numeric-sort} (@option{-g}) option. diff --git a/src/sort.c b/src/sort.c index abee57d7a0..5c86b83324 100644 --- a/src/sort.c +++ b/src/sort.c @@ -444,7 +444,8 @@ Ordering options:\n\ -h, --human-numeric-sort compare human readable numbers (e.g., 2K 1G)\n\ "), stdout); fputs (_("\ - -n, --numeric-sort compare according to string numerical value\n\ + -n, --numeric-sort compare according to string numerical value;\n\ + see manual for which strings are supported\n\ -R, --random-sort shuffle, but group identical keys. See shuf(1)\n\ --random-source=FILE get random bytes from FILE\n\ -r, --reverse reverse the result of comparisons\n\ -- 2.47.2