Re: [PATCH] add new sort option --xargs (-x)

[Jim Meyering]

"Bo Borgerson" <address@hidden> wrote:
> The number of inputs that can be handled by the sort utility is
> currently limited by what may be passed in argv.
>
> Due to the nature of sort, this limit can't be stepped around with
> `xargs' as it could be with some other utilities.
>
> My solution to this locally has been to add an option to the sort
> utility, --xargs, which causes sort to treat STDIN as a source of
> newline-separated arguments that supplement those on the command-line
> (please see attached patch).

I suppose you have a real application where this is useful?
If so, please describe it -- motivation/justification helps ;-)

> Is this an option that might be worth including in a future release?

I think so.  du and wc each have the --files0-from=F option, added for
the same reason.  Any such option in sort should have the same name and
be implemented in the same way.

[haven't forgotten about --nmerge.  will get to it eventually ]