Table of Contents

sort

Table of Contents

Prototype: sort(list, mode)

Return type: slist

Description: Returns list sorted according to mode.

This function can accept many types of data parameters.

Lexicographical, integer, real, IP, and MAC address sorting is supported currently. The example below will show each sorting mode in action. mode is optional, and defaults to lex.

Note IPv6 addresses can not use uppercase hexadecimal characters (A-Z) but must use lowercase (a-z) instead.

Arguments:

list: string - CFEngine variable identifier or inline JSON - in the range: .*
mode: - Sorting method: lex or int or real (floating point) or IPv4/IPv6 or MAC address - one of
- lex
- int
- real
- IP
- ip
- MAC
- mac

Example:

body common control
{
      bundlesequence => { test };
}

bundle agent test
{
  vars:
      "a" slist => { "b", "c", "a" };
      "b" slist => { "100", "9", "10", "8.23" };
      "c" slist => { };
      "d" slist => { "", "a", "", "b" };
      "e" slist => { "a", "1", "b" };

      "ips" slist => { "100.200.100.0", "1.2.3.4", "9.7.5.1", "9", "9.7", "9.7.5", "", "-1", "where are the IP addresses?" };
      "ipv6" slist => { "FE80:0000:0000:0000:0202:B3FF:FE1E:8329",
                        "FE80::0202:B3FF:FE1E:8329",
                        "::1",
                        # the following should all be parsed as the same address and sorted together
                        "2001:db8:0:0:1:0:0:1",
                        "2001:0db8:0:0:1:0:0:1",
                        "2001:db8::1:0:0:1",
                        "2001:db8::0:1:0:0:1",
                        "2001:0db8::1:0:0:1",
                        "2001:db8:0:0:1::1",
                        "2001:db8:0000:0:1::1",
                        "2001:DB8:0:0:1::1", # note uppercase IPv6 addresses are invalid
                        # examples from https://www.ripe.net/lir-services/new-lir/ipv6_reference_card.pdf
                        "8000:63bf:3fff:fdd2",
                        "::ffff:192.0.2.47",
                        "fdf8:f53b:82e4::53",
                        "fe80::200:5aee:feaa:20a2",
                        "2001:0000:4136:e378:",
                        "8000:63bf:3fff:fdd2",
                        "2001:0002:6c::430",
                        "2001:10:240:ab::a",
                        "2002:cb0a:3cdd:1::1",
                        "2001:db8:8:4::2",
                        "ff01:0:0:0:0:0:0:2",
                        "-1", "where are the IP addresses?" };

      "macs" slist => { "00:14:BF:F7:23:1D", "0:14:BF:F7:23:1D", ":14:BF:F7:23:1D", "00:014:BF:0F7:23:01D",
                        "00:14:BF:F7:23:1D", "0:14:BF:F7:23:1D", ":14:BF:F7:23:1D", "00:014:BF:0F7:23:01D",
                        "01:14:BF:F7:23:1D", "1:14:BF:F7:23:1D",
                        "01:14:BF:F7:23:2D", "1:14:BF:F7:23:2D",
                        "-1", "where are the MAC addresses?" };

      "ja" string => join(",", "a");
      "jb" string => join(",", "b");
      "jc" string => join(",", "c");
      "jd" string => join(",", "d");
      "je" string => join(",", "e");

      "jips" string => join(",", "ips");
      "jipv6" string => join(",", "ipv6");
      "jmacs" string => join(",", "macs");

      "sa" slist => sort("a", "lex");
      "sb" slist => sort("b", "lex");
      "sc" slist => sort("c", "lex");
      "sd" slist => sort("d", "lex");
      "se" slist => sort("e", "lex");

      "sb_int" slist => sort("b", "int");
      "sb_real" slist => sort("b", "real");

      "sips" slist => sort("ips", "ip");
      "sipv6" slist => sort("ipv6", "ip");
      "smacs" slist => sort("macs", "mac");


      "jsa" string => join(",", "sa");
      "jsb" string => join(",", "sb");
      "jsc" string => join(",", "sc");
      "jsd" string => join(",", "sd");
      "jse" string => join(",", "se");

      "jsb_int" string => join(",", "sb_int");
      "jsb_real" string => join(",", "sb_real");

      "jsips" string => join(",", "sips");
      "jsipv6" string => join(",", "sipv6");
      "jsmacs" string => join(",", "smacs");

  reports:
      "sorted lexicographically '$(ja)' => '$(jsa)'";
      "sorted lexicographically '$(jb)' => '$(jsb)'";
      "sorted lexicographically '$(jc)' => '$(jsc)'";
      "sorted lexicographically '$(jd)' => '$(jsd)'";
      "sorted lexicographically '$(je)' => '$(jse)'";

      "sorted integers '$(jb)' => '$(jsb_int)'";
      "sorted reals '$(jb)' => '$(jsb_real)'";

      "sorted IPs '$(jips)' => '$(jsips)'";
      "sorted IPv6s '$(jipv6)' => '$(jsipv6)'";
      "sorted MACs '$(jmacs)' => '$(jsmacs)'";
}

Output:

2013-09-05T14:05:04-0400   notice: R: sorted lexicographically 'b,c,a' => 'a,b,c'
2013-09-05T14:05:04-0400   notice: R: sorted lexicographically '100,9,10,8.23' => '10,100,8.23,9'
2013-09-05T14:05:04-0400   notice: R: sorted lexicographically '' => ''
2013-09-05T14:05:04-0400   notice: R: sorted lexicographically ',a,,b' => ',,a,b'
2013-09-05T14:05:04-0400   notice: R: sorted lexicographically 'a,1,b' => '1,a,b'
2013-09-05T14:05:04-0400   notice: R: sorted integers '100,9,10,8.23' => '8.23,9,10,100'
2013-09-05T14:05:04-0400   notice: R: sorted reals '100,9,10,8.23' => '8.23,9,10,100'
2013-09-05T14:05:04-0400   notice: R: sorted IPs '100.200.100.0,1.2.3.4,9.7.5.1,9,9.7,9.7.5,,-1,where are the IP addresses?' => ',-1,9,9.7,9.7.5,where are the IP addresses?,1.2.3.4,9.7.5.1,100.200.100.0'
2013-09-05T14:05:04-0400   notice: R: sorted IPv6s 'FE80:0000:0000:0000:0202:B3FF:FE1E:8329,FE80::0202:B3FF:FE1E:8329,::1,2001:db8:0:0:1:0:0:1,2001:0db8:0:0:1:0:0:1,2001:db8::1:0:0:1,2001:db8::0:1:0:0:1,2001:0db8::1:0:0:1,2001:db8:0:0:1::1,2001:db8:0000:0:1::1,2001:DB8:0:0:1::1,8000:63bf:3fff:fdd2,::ffff:192.0.2.47,fdf8:f53b:82e4::53,fe80::200:5aee:feaa:20a2,2001:0000:4136:e378:,8000:63bf:3fff:fdd2,2001:0002:6c::430,2001:10:240:ab::a,2002:cb0a:3cdd:1::1,2001:db8:8:4::2,ff01:0:0:0:0:0:0:2,-1,where are the IP addresses?' => '-1,2001:0000:4136:e378:,2001:DB8:0:0:1::1,8000:63bf:3fff:fdd2,8000:63bf:3fff:fdd2,::ffff:192.0.2.47,FE80:0000:0000:0000:0202:B3FF:FE1E:8329,FE80::0202:B3FF:FE1E:8329,where are the IP addresses?,::1,2001:0002:6c::430,2001:10:240:ab::a,2001:db8:0000:0:1::1,2001:db8:0:0:1::1,2001:0db8::1:0:0:1,2001:db8::0:1:0:0:1,2001:db8::1:0:0:1,2001:0db8:0:0:1:0:0:1,2001:db8:0:0:1:0:0:1,2001:db8:8:4::2,2002:cb0a:3cdd:1::1,fdf8:f53b:82e4::53,fe80::200:5aee:feaa:20a2,ff01:0:0:0:0:0:0:2'
2013-09-05T14:05:04-0400   notice: R: sorted MACs '00:14:BF:F7:23:1D,0:14:BF:F7:23:1D,:14:BF:F7:23:1D,00:014:BF:0F7:23:01D,00:14:BF:F7:23:1D,0:14:BF:F7:23:1D,:14:BF:F7:23:1D,00:014:BF:0F7:23:01D,01:14:BF:F7:23:1D,1:14:BF:F7:23:1D,01:14:BF:F7:23:2D,1:14:BF:F7:23:2D,-1,where are the MAC addresses?' => '-1,:14:BF:F7:23:1D,:14:BF:F7:23:1D,where are the MAC addresses?,00:014:BF:0F7:23:01D,0:14:BF:F7:23:1D,00:14:BF:F7:23:1D,00:014:BF:0F7:23:01D,0:14:BF:F7:23:1D,00:14:BF:F7:23:1D,1:14:BF:F7:23:1D,01:14:BF:F7:23:1D,1:14:BF:F7:23:2D,01:14:BF:F7:23:2D'

History: - Function added in 3.6.0. - Collecting function behavior added in 3.9.0. - Optional mode defaulting to lex behavior added in 3.9.0.

See also: shuffle(), about collecting functions, and data documentation.