If you are having problems with the date itself not being sorted properly you might be able to accomplish it by first converting the date to seconds and then sort the data. It will take more time but might work.
JB > On Jul 10, 2020, at 3:06 PM, David V Glasgow via use-livecode > <use-livecode@lists.runrev.com> wrote: > > Livecodeistas, > > I am working with text files consisting of many thousands of lines, most of > which are in the format URL & Tab & Date - but a few don’t have a date. > > So they look like this ... > > http://1.lw6.blah/b7f3bd9e6b4d728a0f6d5883ed3a5ce/5326d47f?ss=152 > 17/03/2014 9:55 > http://1.lw6.zdomain/storage/1/x/xk/xkwEp/encoded.mp4/7aecf5e57e34c5f9212f30d0ca16da5a/5326d454?ss=107 > > http://1.lw6.zdomain/storage/1/x/xk/xkwEp/encoded.mp4/7aecf5e57e34c5f9212f30d0ca16da5a/5326d454?ss=107 > > http://1.lw6.zdomain/storage/1/x/xk/xkwEp/encoded.mp4/7aecf5e57e34c5f9212f30d0ca16da5a/5326d454?ss=107 > > http://adomain/ 27/06/2016 8:10 > http://adomain/ 27/06/2016 8:10 > http://adomain/ 27/06/2016 8:10 > http://adomain/ 27/06/2016 8:10 > http://adomain/?go=click&c=133&n=1&e=0&g=3&r=3841375&u=http%253A%252F%252Fadomain%somestuff-330835.html > 17/11/2013 22:18 > http://adomain/?go=click&c=133&n=1&e=0&g=3&r=3841375&u=http%253A%252F%252Fadomain%somestuff-330835.html > 17/11/2013 22:18 > http://adomain/?go=click&c=133&n=1&e=0&g=3&r=3841375&u=http%253A%252F%252Fadomain%somestuff-330835.html > 17/11/2013 22:18 > http://adomain/?go=click&c=133&n=1&e=0&g=3&r=3841375&u=http%253A%252F%252Fadomain%somestuff-330835.html > 17/11/2013 22:18 > http://adomain/?go=click&c=133&n=1&e=0&g=3&r=3841375&u=http%253A%252F%252Fadomain%somestuff-330835.html > 17/11/2013 22:18 > > I assumed I could sort the lines by date using the following: > > set itemdel to tab > sort lines of field "import" datetime by the last item of each > > (I know I could speed this up using a variable, but I wanted to just see the > result first.) > > I wasn’t sure what would happen to the lines with no date, but assumed they > would pile up at the beginning or the end of the field (which would be fine). > However, what happens is that the script runs, and the order above is > generated. I can’t see any meaningful ordering of the lines. > > I have a horrible feeling that dates are more complicated than I imagined, > although I am sort of hoping there something simple I just haven’t grasped. > If so, what? > > Best wishes, > > David Glasgow > _______________________________________________ > use-livecode mailing list > use-livecode@lists.runrev.com > Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription > preferences: > http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-livecode _______________________________________________ use-livecode mailing list use-livecode@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-livecode