> 1. within each block, add the sort keys in front of each
> line (surname, personal name, line number), plus maybe a
> delimiter to make step 3 (below) easier.
> 2. sort
> 3. remove the sort keys added in step 1
Do I understand your suggestion is to tweak the file to look
like
==================================================
[X] 100% Soccer team
Sims, Tim@ [X] 100% Sims, Tim
Sims, Tim@ [X] 100% physical
Sims, Tim@ [X] 100% uniform deposit #31
Smith, Sam@ [ ] 50% Smith, Sam
Smith, Sam@ [ ] 0% physical
Smith, Sam@ [X] 100% uniform deposit
Comer, Hannah@ [ ] 0% Comer, Hannah
Comer, Hannah@ [ ] 0% physical
Comer, Hannah@ [ ] 0% uniform deposit #8
Thornton, Tyler@ [X] 100% Thornton, Tyler
Thornton, Tyler@ [X] 100% physical
Thornton, Tyler@ [X] 100% uniform deposit #35
==================================================
and then running running sort over the remainder?
My attempt to try your suggestion comes up with the
sub-lists being inverted and the spaces between the lines
being moved up to the top (using ":2,$!sort")
==================================================
[X] 100% Soccer team
Comer, Hannah@ [ ] 0% physical
Comer, Hannah@ [ ] 0% uniform deposit #8
Comer, Hannah@ [ ] 0% Comer, Hannah
Sims, Tim@ [X] 100% physical
Sims, Tim@ [X] 100% uniform deposit #31
Sims, Tim@ [X] 100% Sims, Tim
Smith, Sam@ [ ] 0% physical
Smith, Sam@ [X] 100% uniform deposit
Smith, Sam@ [ ] 50% Smith, Sam
Thornton, Tyler@ [X] 100% physical
Thornton, Tyler@ [X] 100% uniform deposit #35
Thornton, Tyler@ [X] 100% Thornton, Tyler
==================================================
which, after undecorating with the names, becomes:
==================================================
[X] 100% Soccer team
[ ] 0% physical
[ ] 0% uniform deposit #8
[ ] 0% Comer, Hannah
[X] 100% physical
[X] 100% uniform deposit #31
[X] 100% Sims, Tim
[ ] 0% physical
[X] 100% uniform deposit
[ ] 50% Smith, Sam
[X] 100% physical
[X] 100% uniform deposit #35
[X] 100% Thornton, Tyler
==================================================
which isn't quite what I understood the OP wanted. :)
though, as always, the error my lay in my understanding of
your solution, rather than in the solution itself...
-tim
