SORTV.DOC (vevised 1/14/81)
	   Brief commentary on the use of SORTV
                   by Ward Christensen

SORTV is a "simple" sort program for variable length (CR/LF
terminated) record files, i.e. the typical CP/M file of
lists of things.  It defaults to sorting from the 1st char
in the line, but can skip past any particular characters
that occur in the file.  The file being sorted must fit
in memory.  You may write back to the input file, or to
another.  /// A typical use would be to sort a list of 
filenames into filetype sequence, i.e. names.sub from FMAP.
Some examples: If you want to sort "files.nam" into se-
quence: SORTV FILES.NAM;  To sort a list of names (as pro-
duced by FMAP *.* Q, for example) by filetype: 
SORTV NAMES.SUB @.  The "@" means to sort "at", and the "."
means at the period.  Note EACH line must have the skip-
character specified.  To sort a file skipping a period,
a comma, and 2 spaces: "SORTV NAME @.,  " where you put 2
spaces after the ",".


Here's the general way to execute SORTV -

To write back to file in place:   SORTV name

To write to another: SORTV inputname outputname

If you should want to use a tab as a skip character, you
must either specify an output filename, or use a single
"." for the output name (causes input to be overlaid with
output)  This is because CP/M doesn't like having a con-
trol character in a place it considers to be a filename
(one of its two it may take on a command).  Thus to skip
a tab, a period, and another tab, writing "FILE" back to
itself:  SORTV FILE . @^I.^I  where "^I" means you pressed
the "tab" key.  If you typed: SORTV FILE @^I.^I CP/M would
reject the command because it thinks you are putting a
tab into the second (output) filename.  P.S. bug: file must
end with cr/lf.  Enjoy.
			   Ward Christensen  01/14/81