sort data in file with bash script

Question

I have following file:

# cat /var/data/wlan_cells.log
"Tech 1" "57" "-67" "0"
"GUEST01" "52" "-69" "0"
"SWSGP01" "52" "-69" "0"
"GateAP" "100" "-39" "0"
"AP_9 test" "78" "-59" "0"
"surf" "13" "-85" "0"
"Tech 2" "18" "-83" "0"

How can I sort the lines by signal quality (second value)? Expected result:

# cat /var/data/wlan_cells.log
"GateAP" "100" "-39" "0"
"AP_9 test" "78" "-59" "0"
"Tech 1" "57" "-67" "0"
"GUEST01" "52" "-69" "0"
"SWSGP01" "52" "-69" "0"
"Tech 2" "18" "-83" "0"
"surf" "13" "-85" "0"

choroba · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-04 12:19:07Z

5

I'd use

sort -t\" -k4nr

i.e. split to columns by ", use the fourth column, sort numerically in reversed order.

answered Jul 4, 2014 at 12:19

choroba

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3 Comments

helpermethod Over a year ago

Was expecting elegant solutions using AWK (which lends itself to these sort of things). But this is even better.

Bartlomiej Grzeskowiak Over a year ago

I love it, even if I don't understand it :)

condorwasabi Over a year ago

That command splits every line of your log in columns. A new column is created everytime a " symbol is seen. So for example, in the first line the columns will be: a void column (because the first symbol met is a " The second column will be Tech 1. The third column will be a space. The fourth column will be 57. The sort command then sorts the fourth columns (the signal quality) of the log lines.

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