Sorting by a key with offset and length

Abhay Gokhale

How to sort a file at a certain offset? e.g. my sort key is offset 5 length of 2

Scott Sumner

Well you can try making a column selection first and then execute Edit (menu) -> Line Operations -> Sort Lines…

Example:

Imgur

It may work for you. I’ve found that Notepad++ doesn’t do a stable sort…so YMMV depending upon what you are doing…

Jim Dailey

@Abhay-Gokhale You could always type sort /h in a command shell.

guy038

Hello, @abhay-gokhale, and All,

The is a safe way to sort with an offset, in Notepad++. The trick is to copy the key sort, in front of each line to be sorted ;-))

Let’s start with that sample text ( A long line from the license.txt file, split in several lines )

The licenses for most software are designed to take away your freedom to share 
and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to 
guarantee your freedom to share and change free software--to make sure the 
software is free for all its users. This General Public License applies to 
most of the Free Software Foundation's software and to any other program whose 
authors commit to using it. (Some other Free Software Foundation software is 
covered by the GNU Library General Public License instead.) You can apply it 
to your programs, too.

I, simply, inserted a 5 digits number, surrounded by a space character, at column 11 of each line, giving the following text :

The licens 37529 es for most software are designed to take away your freedom to share 
and change 12345  it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to 
guarantee  94113 your freedom to share and change free software--to make sure the 
software i 88060 s free for all its users. This General Public License applies to 
most of th 46931 e Free Software Foundation's software and to any other program whose 
authors co 88060 mmit to using it. (Some other Free Software Foundation software is 
covered by 88060  the GNU Library General Public License instead.) You can apply it 
to your pr 62473 ograms, too.

That five digits number will be the expected key sort. Now, applying the regex S/R :

SEARCH (?-s)^.{11}(.{5}).+

REPLACE \1\x20\x20\x20$0

you should get the text :

37529   The licens 37529 es for most software are designed to take away your freedom to share 
12345   and change 12345  it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to 
94113   guarantee  94113 your freedom to share and change free software--to make sure the 
88060   software i 88060 s free for all its users. This General Public License applies to 
46931   most of th 46931 e Free Software Foundation's software and to any other program whose 
88060   authors co 88060 mmit to using it. (Some other Free Software Foundation software is 
88060   covered by 88060  the GNU Library General Public License instead.) You can apply it 
62473   to your pr 62473 ograms, too.

Then, after running the sort operation ( Edit > Line Operations > Sort Lines Lexicographically Ascending, you get :

12345   and change 12345  it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to 
37529   The licens 37529 es for most software are designed to take away your freedom to share 
46931   most of th 46931 e Free Software Foundation's software and to any other program whose 
62473   to your pr 62473 ograms, too.
88060   authors co 88060 mmit to using it. (Some other Free Software Foundation software is 
88060   covered by 88060  the GNU Library General Public License instead.) You can apply it 
88060   software i 88060 s free for all its users. This General Public License applies to 
94113   guarantee  94113 your freedom to share and change free software--to make sure the

Notice that, when the key sort is identical ( case of 88060 ), for several lines, the lines are, in addition, sorted, according to the entire line contents ! ( authors - covered - software )

Finally, using this second simple regex S/R, below, we get rid of the temporary key sort, at column 1 :

SEARCH (?-s)^.{5}\h+

REPLACE Leave EMPTY

and obtain our expected text :

and change 12345  it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to 
The licens 37529 es for most software are designed to take away your freedom to share 
most of th 46931 e Free Software Foundation's software and to any other program whose 
to your pr 62473 ograms, too.
authors co 88060 mmit to using it. (Some other Free Software Foundation software is 
covered by 88060  the GNU Library General Public License instead.) You can apply it 
software i 88060 s free for all its users. This General Public License applies to 
guarantee  94113 your freedom to share and change free software--to make sure the

Et voilà !

Best Regards,

guy038