From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Fri Apr 23 07:28:17 2004
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E06DA16A4CE
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Fri, 23 Apr 2004 07:28:17 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from dan.emsphone.com (dan.emsphone.com [199.67.51.101])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 98E3843D1F
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Fri, 23 Apr 2004 07:28:17 -0700 (PDT)
	(envelope-from dan@dan.emsphone.com)
Received: (from dan@localhost)
	by dan.emsphone.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) id i3NES4Ft082638;
	Fri, 23 Apr 2004 09:28:04 -0500 (CDT)
	(envelope-from dan)
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 09:28:04 -0500
From: Dan Nelson <dnelson@allantgroup.com>
To: JJB <Barbish3@adelphia.net>
Message-ID: <20040423142804.GB4463@dan.emsphone.com>
References: <20040422213441.GC4370@dan.emsphone.com>
	<MIEPLLIBMLEEABPDBIEGCEKIFMAA.Barbish3@adelphia.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Disposition: inline
In-Reply-To: <MIEPLLIBMLEEABPDBIEGCEKIFMAA.Barbish3@adelphia.net>
X-OS: FreeBSD 5.2-CURRENT
X-message-flag: Outlook Error
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.6i
cc: "freebsd-questions@FreeBSD. ORG" <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Subject: Re: Specifying sort fields
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 14:28:18 -0000

In the last episode (Apr 23), JJB said:
> Thank you that worked. You know that nowhere in the 'man sort' info
> does it say that to use sort command you have to use pipe commands to
> feed it data. How is somebody without UNIX programming background
> going to read that and know how to feed sort it's data to sort? Don't
> you think the man sort info needs updating to explain this fact? 
> Even some examples at end of technical info would go long way to
> making the 'man sort' info user friendly and meaningfully.

Well, it does, sort of:

    SYNOPSIS
           sort [OPTION]... [FILE]...

    DESCRIPTION
           Write sorted concatenation of all FILE(s) to standard output.

and a bit farther down:

           With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

I agree that examples would be nice.

-- 
	Dan Nelson
	dnelson@allantgroup.com