# num_lt --- do a numeric less than comparison

function num_lt(left, right)

{

    return ((left + 0) < (right + 0))

}

# num_ge --- do a numeric greater than or equal to comparison

function num_ge(left, right)

{

    return ((left + 0) >= (right + 0))

}

# do_sort --- sort the data according to `compare'

#             and return it as a string

function do_sort(first, last, compare,      data, i, retval)

{

    delete data

    for (i = 1; first <= last; first++) {

        data[i] = $first

        i++

    }

    quicksort(data, 1, i-1, compare)

    retval = data[1]

    for (i = 2; i in data; i++)

        retval = retval " " data[i]

    return retval

}

# sort --- sort the data in ascending order and return it as a string

function sort(first, last)

{

    return do_sort(first, last, "num_lt")

}

# rsort --- sort the data in descending order and return it as a string

function rsort(first, last)

{

    return do_sort(first, last, "num_ge")

}