There are at least a few free *real* databases around - one being PostgreSQL. I'm not sure what MySQL's current license situation is, but it might be free as well.

My advice is to convert your flat text file database into a real database so that you can use "LIKE" in your SELECT, something like this (as someone else already pointed out): 

   SELECT *
   FROM   your_table
   WHERE  author_last_name LIKE 'A%'

[download]
Actually, if your flat file database is CSV (Comma Separated Value) or similar, you might be able to use Perl's DBI and DBD::CSV modules to do what you want, and you might be able to use a SELECT similar to the one above that uses the "LIKE", but I'm just speculating ;-)

HTH.

In reply to Re^3: database sorter script by hmerrill
in thread database sorter script by santander

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