sort + fosdem post

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+[[template id=archive_month year="2009" month="02"]]

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+[[meta redir=archives/2009/02]]

diff --git a/blog/posts/2009/02/sort_gotcha.mdwn b/blog/posts/2009/02/sort_gotcha.mdwn
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+# sorting text records on the first column only
+
+It turns out that [`join`](http://man.cx/join) is a strange
+beast. Let's say you have two files, which are textual records using
+TAB as separator, containing different columns beside the first one,
+which is the record key. Using join you can do cool stuff like `join
+file1 file2` to obtain a join in the relations sense, by default on
+the first column.
+
+The [join manpage](http://man.cx/join) states that the two fields must
+be sorted on the join field. This is of course to avoid complexity
+explosion. The annoying thing is that if you forget to do that, you
+will miss tuples, without any warning, which is not good (and can
+actually be at least *spotted* avoiding complexity explosion ...).
+<small>So yeah, if I'm here it's because after having been hit by
+this, I finally read the fine manpage :-) </small>
+
+But how to sort on the join field? Turns out that dear old `sort -u
+file | [sponge](http://packages.debian.org/sid/moreutils) file` is not
+enough. Why? Because by default it will use *all* keys to sort and
+then you will end up sorting also on data values; needless to say that
+such sorting methods is not stable among the two different files you
+want to sort in turn.
+
+OK then, let's try with `sort -u -k 1 file | sponge file`. Not even,
+but close. ... because [`sort`](http://man.cx/sort) with this syntax
+will *start* sorting at key 1 (which is the default), but then
+continue sorting with the other keys, in the hope of doing you a
+favour.
+
+The magic line is then `sort -u -k 1,1 file | sponge file`, which
+tells `sort` to (damn) sort using only the first (damned) key and
+stopping there. Thank you `sort`. Have a nice day.
+
+<a href="http://www.fosdem.org"><img
+src="http://www.fosdem.org/promo/going-to" alt="I’m going to FOSDEM,
+the Free and Open Source Software Developers’ European Meeting" /></a>
+**PS** I've been sick this week, but I'm definitely getting better, so
+I can finally announce that I'm going to FOSDEM 2009, yay, see you
+there!
+
+[[!tag lang/english planet/debian]]

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