# 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")
}