VMS Help MERGE, Specification File Qualifiers, /COLLATING_SEQUENCE, Examples  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

    1./COLLATING_SEQUENCE=(SEQUENCE=ASCII,IGNORE=("-"," "))

      This /COLLATING_SEQUENCE qualifier with an IGNORE option
      specified results in the following fields being compared as
      equal before tie breaking:

         252-3412
         252 3412
         2523412

    2./COLLATING_SEQUENCE=(SEQUENCE=("A"-"L","LL","M"-"R","RR","S"-"Z"))

      This /COLLATING_SEQUENCE qualifier defines a sequence in
      which the double character LL collates as a single character
      between L and M, and the double character RR collates as a
      single character between R and S. These double characters
      would otherwise appear in their usual alphabetical order. By
      default, this user-defined sequence does not define any other
      characters, such as lowercase a to z.

    3./COLLATING_SEQUENCE=(SEQUENCE=
               ("AN","EB","AR","PR","AY","UN","UL",
                "UG","EP","CT","OV","EC","0"-"9"),
                MODIFICATION=("'"="19"),
                FOLD)

      This /COLLATING_SEQUENCE qualifier defines a collating
      sequence. It includes a user-defined sequence that gives each
      month a unique value in chronological order. For example, if
      you want to order a file called SEMINAR.DAT according to the
      date, the file SEMINAR.DAT would be set up as follows:

        16 NOV 1983   Communication Skills
        05 APR 1984   Coping with Alcoholism
        11 Jan '84    How to Be Assertive
        12 OCT 1983   Improving Productivity
        15 MAR 1984   Living with Your Teenager
        08 FEB 1984   Single Parenting
        07 Dec '83    Stress --- Causes and Cures
        14 SEP 1983   Time Management

      The primary key is the year field; the secondary key is the
      month field. Because the month field is not numeric and you
      want the months ordered chronologically, you must define
      your own collating sequence. You can do this by sorting on
      the second two letters of each month-in their chronological
      sequence-giving each month a unique key value.

      The MODIFICATION option specifies that the apostrophe (') be
      equated to 19, thereby allowing a comparison of '83 and 1984.
      The FOLD option specifies that uppercase and lowercase letters
      are treated as equal.

      The output from this sort operation appears as follows:

        14 SEP 1983   Time Management
        12 OCT 1983   Improving Productivity
        16 NOV 1983   Communication Skills
        07 Dec '83    Stress --- Causes and Cures
        11 Jan '84    How to Be Assertive
        08 FEB 1984   Single Parenting
        15 MAR 1984   Living with Your Teenager
        05 APR 1984   Coping with Alcoholism