The sort command has a -n option to sort a file by numbers. However, it does not work with hexadecimal numbers.
For example, this file:
400000000 __crt0
400000039 __newr0
400001B14 get_my_task_id
400001C14 get_new_task_id
400001582 input_char
40000166E input_q
400001A5D input_q_exit
400002002 main
4000000DB output_char
400001134 output_char_str
40000100C output_id
40000018F output_q
400000614 output_q_digits
400000B7E output_q_hex
400000D3E output_q_hex_j1
400000E3D output_q_hex_j2
4000002FB output_q_j1
400000444 output_q_j2
40000131F output_str
400001385 output_str_j1
200000020 reg1
200000028 reg2
200000030 reg3
200000038 reg4
20400001000 status
400001E0C t1
400001E70 t2
400001D14 task_id_to_ec_range
will be sorted to:
400000B7E output_q_hex
400000D3E output_q_hex_j1
400000E3D output_q_hex_j2
400001A5D input_q_exit
400001B14 get_my_task_id
400001C14 get_new_task_id
400001D14 task_id_to_ec_range
400001E0C t1
400001E70 t2
4000000DB output_char
4000002FB output_q_j1
40000018F output_q
40000100C output_id
40000131F output_str
40000166E input_q
200000020 reg1
200000028 reg2
200000030 reg3
200000038 reg4
400000000 __crt0
400000039 __newr0
400000444 output_q_j2
400000614 output_q_digits
400001134 output_char_str
400001385 output_str_j1
400001582 input_char
400002002 main
20400001000 status
But 200000020 is smaller than 40000166E.
How to sort a file by hexadecimal numbers on Linux using sort command?
The combination of sort with perl, paste and cut produce the correct results (assume the file is file.txt).
perl -lpe '$_=hex' file.txt |
paste -d" " - file.txt |
sort -n |
cut -d" " -f 2-
The first line will convert the hexadecimal numbers to decimal numbers. The second line concatenate the converted decimal numbers with the original text by row. Then sort them and cut the first decimal number fields away.
200000020 reg1
200000028 reg2
200000030 reg3
200000038 reg4
400000000 __crt0
400000039 __newr0
4000000DB output_char
40000018F output_q
4000002FB output_q_j1
400000444 output_q_j2
400000614 output_q_digits
400000B7E output_q_hex
400000D3E output_q_hex_j1
400000E3D output_q_hex_j2
40000100C output_id
400001134 output_char_str
40000131F output_str
400001385 output_str_j1
400001582 input_char
40000166E input_q
400001A5D input_q_exit
400001B14 get_my_task_id
400001C14 get_new_task_id
400001D14 task_id_to_ec_range
400001E0C t1
400001E70 t2
400002002 main
20400001000 status
