HP 3000 Manuals

SORT-MERGE/XL General Users Guide

Multiple Key Alphabetical Sorting 

You can designate multiple key data items to break sorting ties.  This
prevents the situation described in the "Single Key Alphabetical Sorting"
section above, where there were three ANDERSON entries in the file.
Issue the following commands to designate multiple keys for the file
EMPLOYEE. Only the three lines of the file listing the ANDERSON entries
are shown:

          :SORT  

          HP32214A.01.00  SORT/3000 WED, JUN  3, 1987,  8:28 AM
          (c) HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. 1986

          >INPUT EMPLOYEE   
          >OUTPUT COMPANY  
          >KEY 1, 11  
          >KEY 12, 11   
          >END  
          PURGE OLD OUTPUT FILE COMPANY.GROUP.ACCOUNT ? Y  

             <<The SORT Statistics Appear Here>>

          :EDITOR  

          HP32201A.07.17 EDIT/3000 WED, JUN  3, 1987,  8:29 AM
          (c) HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. 1985
          /TEXT COMPANY  
          FILE UNNUMBERED
          /LIST 1/3  
                        1         2         3         4
               123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345

          1    ANDERSON   CHARLES    SALES REP          3456
          2    ANDERSON   CHARLES    PRESIDENT          0247
          3    ANDERSON   MARY       ACCOUNTANT         6345

The two entries for CHARLES ANDERSON now appear before MARY ANDERSON in
the list.  However, for the sort to be completely alphabetized the job
title also needs to be considered.  To accomplish this you would
designate three key data items with the >KEY command.

To designate three key data items for last name, first name, and job
title, enter the following sequence of commands:

          :SORT  

          HP32214A.01.00  SORT/3000 WED, JUN  3, 1987,  8:30 AM
          (c) HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. 1986

          >INPUT EMPLOYEE  
          >OUTPUT COMPANY    
          >KEY 1, 11; 12, 11; 23, 19    
          >END    
          PURGE OLD OUTPUT FILE COMPANY.GROUP.ACCOUNT ? Y  

             <<The SORT Statistics Appear Here>>

          :EDITOR    

          HP32201A.07.17 EDIT/3000 WED, JUN  3, 1987,  8:31 AM
          (c) HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. 1985
          /TEXT COMPANY    
          FILE UNNUMBERED
          /LIST 1/3     
                        1         2         3         4
               123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345

          1    ANDERSON   CHARLES    PRESIDENT          0247
          2    ANDERSON   CHARLES    SALES REP          3456
          3    ANDERSON   MARY       ACCOUNTANT         6345

The three ANDERSON entries are now correctly alphabetized by last name,
first name, and job title.  Notice in the last two examples that it is
acceptable to enter multiple key data items with the >KEY command either
one to a line or all on one line.

In the above example, after you entered the >END command, the system
displayed the message:

          PURGE OLD OUTPUT FILE COMPANY.GROUP.ACCOUNT ? Y  

This message tells you that a file named COMPANY already exists in your
group and account, and asks if you want the old version purged.  If you
reply YES, the old version of COMPANY is purged and a new version
containing the information from this sort is created.  If you reply NO 
you are prompted for a new file name.  You then enter a new, unique file
name and you have two files; the original file named COMPANY and the
newly created file.

MPE/iX 5.0 Documentation