Short:        Sort file containting amateur radio call signs
Architecture: m68k-amigaos

sortham     Sort an input file containing an amateur radio call sign in
	    column 1.  Version 1.0 05/30/92 Freeware by Vince Herried, KA8CTE.
	    This version should work on AmigaDos versions 1.0 and greater.
	    It has only been tested on AmigaDos V2.04.

	    Amateur call signs are assumed to be less than 7 characters in
	    length of the following format.
	    PNS - where the prefix P is one or two alphabetic characters,
		  where the number N is a digit from 0 to 9, and
		  the suffix S is one to three characters.


	    THEORY OF OPERATION

	    The program doesn't actually sort the input lines, rather it
	    sorts pointers to the input lines.  Memory is allocated for
	    the input file and for the pointers (one needed for each line).

	    As the file is read in, a null character is added at the
	    end of each line, thus the input buffer needs to be larger
	    than the actual file size.

	    Aztec's Manx C qsort is called with a comparison exit.

	    The comparison exit builds a work area for each call sign
	    and re-arranges it (use the above notation) NSP or number,
	    suffix,prefix.  It then uses a standard C compare and returns
	    to the qsort exit.

	    RESTRICTIONS

	    Input lines longer than 255 characters are truncated.

	    Call signs are less than seven characters long.

	    This version requires the call sign to be in column one.
	    Version two will probably allow the call sign to be embedded.

	    Ya get what you pay for, if it don't work for you, well
	    I'm sorry, it works ok for me.


	    ERROR MESSAGES


	       "SRTH001E: can't access FILENAME"
		     Selfexplainatory, I hope.  Misspelled file name?

	       "SRTH002I - ta =%s, tb =%s"
		     Debugging info, you'll never see this.

	       "SRTH003E - open failed for FILENAME"
		     Unable to open input file (read protected?)

	       "SRTH004E - Unable to allocate memory for data buffer!"
		     you don't have enough free system memory available
		     to hold the input file.  Try breaking the file up
		     into multiple parts.

	       "SRTH005E - Unable to allocate memory for pointer buffer!"
		     sortham also needs a bunch of memory pointers.
		     Maybe V2 will be a little bit smarter, this version
		     assumes that each line is very short, thus if your
		     data lines are more than 8 characters long it
		     allocates more memory for this buffer than
		     it needs.  I did this rather than make multiple
		     passes on the data or require you to enter an average
		     line size.  Try breaking the file up into multiple parts.

	       "SRTH006E - oops it doesn't fit?"
		     I guessed wrong on the size of the buffer needed for
		     the input file.  Probably because the file is very short
		     and or all input lines are are very short eg 1x2.
		     Pad one line out with text to make it longer (20 - 30
		     characters should do it).

	       "SRTH007E - oops not enough room in the pointer buffer!"
		     Same problem SRTH007E.  Pad a line out with text to
		     make it longer.




	    Address Comments to:
	    Vincent Herried  KA8CTE
	    1688 Staffordshire RD.
	    Columbus, OH. 43229-2142