@sorted_recs = sort @recs;

##</code><code>##

@srecs = sort {
    $b->{AGE}      <=>  $b->{AGE}
                   ||
    $a->{SURNAME}  cmp  $b->{SURNAME}
} @recs;

##</code><code>##

@sorted_lines = sort @lines;

##</code><code>##

use Unicode::Collate;
@sorted_lines = Unicode::Collate::->new->sort(@lines);

##</code><code>##

use Unicode::Collate;
my $collator = Unicode::Collate::->new();
@srecs = sort {
    $b->{AGE}  <=>  $b->{AGE}
          ||
    $collator->cmp( $a->{SURNAME}, $b->{SURNAME} )
} @recs;

##</code><code>##

use Unicode::Collate;
my $collator = Unicode::Collate::->new();

# first calculate the magic sort key for each text field, and cache it
for my $rec (@recs) {
    $rec->{SURNAME_key} = $collator->getSortKey( $rec->{SURNAME} );
} 

# now sort the records as before, but for the surname field,
# use the cached sort key instead
@srecs = sort {
    $b->{AGE}          <=>  $b->{AGE}
                      ||
    $a->{SURNAME_key}  cmp  $b->{SURNAME_key}
} @recs;

##</code><code>##

Lewis, C.S.
McKinley, Bill
MacKinley, Ron
Mables, Martha
Machado, José
Macon, Bacon

##</code><code>##

use Unicode::Collate;
@sorted_text = Unicode::Collate::->new->sort(@text);

##</code><code>##

@germans = qw{
    Böll
    Born
    Böhme
    Bodmer
    Brandis
    Böttcher
    Borchert
    Bobrowski
};

##</code><code>##

Bobrowski
Bodmer
Borchert
Born
Brandis
Brant
Böhme
Böll
Böttcher

##</code><code>##

Bobrowski
Bodmer
Borchert
Born
Böll
Brandis
Brant
Böhme
Böttcher

##</code><code>##

Bobrowski
Bodmer
Borchert
Born
Böhme
Böll
Brandis
Brant
Böttcher

##</code><code>##

Bobrowski
Bodmer
Böhme
Böll
Borchert
Born
Böttcher
Brandis
Brant

##</code><code>##

use Unicode::Collate;
@sorted_germans = Unicode::Collate::->new->sort(@german_names);

##</code><code>##

Bobrowski
Bodmer
Böhme
Böll
Böttcher
Borchert
Born
Brandis
Brant

##</code><code>##

use Unicode::Collate::Locale;
@sorted_germans = Unicode::Collate::Locale::
                      ->new(locale => "de_phonebook")
                      ->sort(@german_names);