#!/usr/bin/perl # http://perlmonks.org/?node_id=1177316 use strict; use warnings; print sort { (split ' ', $a)[1] cmp (split ' ', $b)[1] } ; __DATA__ CCCCCC-NF-33 LONDON_JAM_2AAA END-ONE_2TWO DDDDDD-NF_52 VENICE_CCC_1ZZZ WHAT_WHEN-1WHY KKKKK-INF_44 JAMAICA_AAA_3TTT HOW-WHERE_3WHAT AAAAA-INF-32 LONDON_JAM_2AAA END-ONE_2TWO BBBBB-INF-12 JAMAICA_AAA_3TTT WHAT_WHEN-1WHY VVVVV-INF_24 VENICE_CCC_1ZZZ END-ONE_2TWO