BrowserUk:

I've not found the implied decimal points to be a problem, as all the files I work with have them at the same position, so the normal string sort with a touch of magic to handle the sign would be adequate.

I don't really have a preference or a "gut feel" as what character would be easier to remember for this field type. I'd probably have to refer to the help text.

(I *was* going to suggest EBCDIC sorting in my original response, but you mentioned "real requirements", and I think I've cared about EBCDIC less than 10 times, so I doubt I would ever use it.)

Update: I thought I'd mention that every time I've dealt with implied decimals in my code, I tend to just treat them as integers anyway. I generally only format them with a period if I'm generating a report. If I'm just creating a summary file in a similar format, I just write them back, and the other application never knows that I just used integers internally.

...roboticus

When your only tool is a hammer, all problems look like your thumb.

Comment on Re^5: sort utility key specification