---
name: "Sort::Key::Maker"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-sort-key"
version: "1.33-16"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Sort::Key::Maker"
---

# Sort::Key::Maker(3pm)

multi-key sorter creator

## NAME

Sort::Key::Maker - multi-key sorter creator

## SYNOPSIS

```
  # create a function that sorts strings by length:
  use Sort::Key::Maker sort_by_length => sub { length $_},  qw(integer);
  # create a multi-key sort function;
  # first key is integer sorted in descending order,
  # second key is a string in default (ascending) order:
  use Sort::Key::Maker ri_s_keysort => qw(-integer string);
  # some sample data...
  my @foo = qw(foo bar t too tood mama);
  # and now, use the sorter functions previously made:
  # get the values on @foo sorted by length:
  my @sorted = sort_by_length @foo;
  # sort @foo inplace by its length and then by its value:
  ri_s_keysort_inplace { length $_, $_ } @foo;
```

## DESCRIPTION

Sort::Key::Maker is a pragmatic module that provides an easy to use interface to Sort::Key multi-key sorting functionality.

It creates multi-key sorting functions on the fly for any key type combination and exports them to the caller package.

The key types natively accepted are:

```
  string, str, locale, loc, integer, int,
  unsigned_integer, uint, number, num
```

and support for other types can be added via Sort::Key::Register (or also via **Sort::Key::register\_type()**).

### USAGE

- use Sort::Key::Maker foo\_sort =\> @keys;

  exports two subroutines to the caller package: `"foo_sort (&@)"` and `"foo_sort_inplace (&\@)"`.

  Those two subroutines require a sub reference as their first argument and then respectively, the list to be sorted or an array.

  For instance:

  ```
    use Sort::Key::Maker bar_sort => qw(int int str);
    @bar=qw(doo tomo 45s tio);
    @sorted = bar_sort { unpack "CCs", $_ } @bar;
    # or sorting @bar inplace
    bar_sort_inplace { unpack "CCs", $_ } @bar;
  ```

- use Sort::Key::Maker foo\_sort =\> \\&genmultikey, @keys;

  when the first argument after the sorter name is a reference to a subroutine it is used as the multi-key extraction function. The generated sorter functions doesn't require neither accept one, i.e.:

  ```
    use Sort::Key::Maker sort_by_length => sub { length $_ }, 'int';
    my @sorted = sort_by_length qw(foo goo h mama picasso);
  ```

## SEE ALSO

Sort::Key, Sort::Key::Register.

Sort::Maker also available from CPAN provides similar functionality.

## AUTHOR

Salvador Fandiño, \<sfandino@yahoo.com\>

## COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright (C) 2005, 2014 by Salvador Fandiño

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.8.4 or, at your option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available.