> 
> [ On Monday, February 10, 2003 at 08:37:27 (+1100), Giles Lean wrote: ]
> > Subject: Re: bin/20259: sort(1) numeric sort incorrect with -kn 
> >
> > The standard is more explicit: the sort modifiers may be appended
> > to field specifications.  From UNIX98:
> > 
> >      -k keydef
> > 
> >      The keydef argument is a restricted sort key field
> >      definition. The format of this definition is:
> > 
> >      field_start[type][,field_end[type]]
> > 
> >      where field_start and field_end define a key field restricted to
> >      a portion of the line (see the EXTENDED DESCRIPTION section), and
> >      type is a modifier from the list of characters b, d, f, i, n, r.
>  
> Apples and oranges!  NetBSD's sort(1) implements only:
> 
>      -k field1[,field2]
>                  Designates the starting position, field1, and optional ending
>                  position, field2, of a key field.  The -k option replaces the
>                  obsolescent options +pos1 and -pos2.
> 
> No claims are made about standards compatability.

Not compliance to a standard is a bad thing. So why the hesitation of changing
it?

cheerio Berndt