Sorting data with gnuplot - sorting

Question

Sometimes it might be required to sort data. Unfortunately, gnuplot (as far as I know) doesn't offer this possibility. Of course, you can use external tools like awk, Perl, Python, etc. However, for maximum platform independence and avoiding the installation of additional programs and related complications, and also for curiosity, I was interested whether gnuplot can sort somehow nevertheless.
I will be grateful for comments on improvements, limitations.
Does anybody have ideas how to sort alphanumerical data with gnuplot only?
### Sorting with gnuplot
reset session
# generate some random example data
N = 10
set samples N
RandomNo(n) = sprintf("%.02f",rand(0)*n)
set table $Data
plot '+' u (RandomNo(10)):(RandomNo(10)):(RandomNo(10)) w table
unset table
print $Data
# Settings for sorting
ColNo = 2 # ColumnNo for sorting
stats $Data nooutput # get the number of rows if data is from file
RowCount = STATS_records # with the example data above, of course RowCount=N
# create the sortkey and put it into an array
array SortKey[RowCount]
set table $Dummy
plot $Data u (SortKey[$0+1] = sprintf("%.06f%02d",column(ColNo),$0+1)) w table
unset table
# print $Dummy
# get lines as whole into array
set datafile separator "\n"
array DataSeq[RowCount]
set table $Dummy2
plot $Data u (SortKey[$0+1]):(DataSeq[$0+1] = stringcolumn(1)) with table
unset table
print $Dummy2
set datafile separator whitespace
# do the actual sorting with 'smooth unique'
set table $Dummy3
plot $Dummy2 u 1:0 smooth unique
unset table
# print $Dummy3
# extract the sorted sortkeys
set table $Dummy4
plot $Dummy3 u (SortKey[$0+1]=$2) with table
unset table
# print $Dummy4
# create the table with sorted lines
set table $DataSorted
plot $Data u (DataSeq[SortKey[$0+1]+1]) with table
unset table
print $DataSorted
### end of code
First datablock unsorted data
second datablock intermediate with sortkeys
third datablock sorted data by the second column
Output:
5.24 6.68 3.09
1.64 1.27 9.82
6.44 9.23 7.03
8.14 8.87 3.82
4.27 5.98 0.93
7.96 3.64 6.15
6.21 6.28 6.17
1.52 3.17 3.58
4.24 2.16 8.99
8.73 6.54 1.13
6.68000001 5.24 6.68 3.09
1.27000002 1.64 1.27 9.82
9.23000003 6.44 9.23 7.03
8.87000004 8.14 8.87 3.82
5.98000005 4.27 5.98 0.93
3.64000006 7.96 3.64 6.15
6.28000007 6.21 6.28 6.17
3.17000008 1.52 3.17 3.58
2.16000009 4.24 2.16 8.99
6.54000010 8.73 6.54 1.13
1.64 1.27 9.82
4.24 2.16 8.99
1.52 3.17 3.58
7.96 3.64 6.15
4.27 5.98 0.93
6.21 6.28 6.17
8.73 6.54 1.13
5.24 6.68 3.09
8.14 8.87 3.82
6.44 9.23 7.03

Answer 1

For curiosity, I wanted to know whether an alphanumerical sort could be implemented with gnuplot code only.
This avoids the need for external tools and ensures maximum platform compatibility.
I haven't heard yet about an external tool which could assist gnuplot and which works under Windows and Linux and MacOS.
I am happy to take comments and suggestions about bugs, simplifications, improvements, performance comparisons, and limits.
For alphanumerical sort, the first stage is alphanumerical string comparison, which to my knowledge does not exist in gnuplot directly. So, the first part Compare.plt is about comparison of strings.
### compare function for strings
# Compare.plt
# function cmp(a,b,cs) returns a<b:-1, a==b:0, a>b:+1
# cs=0: case-insensitive, cs=1: case-sensitive
reset session
ASCII = ' !"' . "#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?#".\
"ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\\]^_\`".\
"abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|}~"
ord(c) = strstrt(ASCII,c)>0 ? strstrt(ASCII,c)+31 : 0
# comparing char: case-sensitive
cmpcharcs(c1,c2) = sgn(ord(c1)-ord(c2))
# comparing char: case-insentitive
cmpcharci(c1,c2) = sgn(( cmpcharci_o1=ord(c1), ((cmpcharci_o1>96) && (cmpcharci_o1<123)) ?\
cmpcharci_o1-32 : cmpcharci_o1) - \
( cmpcharci_o2=ord(c2), ((cmpcharci_o2>96) && (cmpcharci_o2<123)) ?\
cmpcharci_o2-32 : cmpcharci_o2) )
# function cmp returns a<b:-1, a==b:0, a>b:+1
# cs=0: case-insensitive, cs=1: case-sensitive
cmp(a,b,cs) = ((cmp_r=0, cmp_flag=0, cmp_maxlen=strlen(a)>strlen(b) ? strlen(a) : strlen(b)),\
(sum[cmp_i=1:cmp_maxlen] \
((cmp_flag==0 && (cmp_c1 = substr(a,cmp_i,cmp_i), cmp_c2 = substr(b,cmp_i,cmp_i), \
(cmp_r = (cs==0 ? cmpcharci(cmp_c1,cmp_c2) : cmpcharcs(cmp_c1,cmp_c2) ) )!=0 ? \
(cmp_flag=1, cmp_r) : 0)), 1 )), cmp_r)
cmpsymb(a,b,cs) = (cmpsymb_r = cmp(a,b,cs))<0 ? "<" : cmpsymb_r>0 ? ">" : "="
### end of code
Example:
### example compare strings
load "Compare.plt"
a="Alligator"
b="Tiger"
print sprintf("% 2d: % 9s% 2s% 6s", cmp(a,b,0), a, cmpsymb(a,b,0), b)
a="Tiger"
print sprintf("% 2d: % 9s% 2s% 6s", cmp(a,b,0), a, cmpsymb(a,b,0), b)
a="Zebra"
print sprintf("% 2d: % 9s% 2s% 6s", cmp(a,b,0), a, cmpsymb(a,b,0), b)
### end of code
Result:
-1: Alligator < Tiger
0: Tiger = Tiger
1: Zebra > Tiger
The second part makes use of the comparison for sorting.
### alpha-numerical sort with gnuplot
reset session
load "Compare.plt"
$Data <<EOD
1 0.123 Orange
2 0.456 Apple
3 0.789 Peach
4 0.987 Pineapple
5 0.654 Banana
6 0.321 Raspberry
7 0.111 Lemon
EOD
stats $Data u 0 nooutput
RowCount = STATS_records
ColSort = 3
array Key[RowCount]
array Index[RowCount]
set table $Dummy
plot $Data u (Key[$0+1]=stringcolumn(ColSort),Index[$0+1]=$0+1) w table
unset table
# Bubblesort
do for [n=RowCount:2:-1] {
do for [i=1:n-1] {
if ( cmp(Key[i],Key[i+1],0) > 0) {
tmp=Key[i]; Key[i]=Key[i+1]; Key[i+1]=tmp
tmp2=Index[i]; Index[i]=Index[i+1]; Index[i+1]=tmp2
}
}
}
set datafile separator "\n"
set table $Dummy # and reuse Key-array
plot $Data u (Key[$0+1]=stringcolumn(1)) with table
unset table
set datafile separator whitespace
set table $DataSorted
plot $Data u (Key[Index[$0+1]]) with table
unset table
print $DataSorted
set grid xtics,ytics
plot [-0.5:RowCount-0.5][0:1.1] $DataSorted u 0:2:xtic(3) w lp lt 7 lc rgb "red"
### end of code
Input:
1 0.123 Orange
2 0.456 Apple
3 0.789 Peach
4 0.987 Pineapple
5 0.654 Banana
6 0.321 Raspberry
7 0.111 Lemon
Output:
2 0.456 Apple
5 0.654 Banana
7 0.111 Lemon
1 0.123 Orange
3 0.789 Peach
4 0.987 Pineapple
6 0.321 Raspberry
and the output graph: