LPM: Sorting Big Files

[Janine Ladick]

Hello, List!

Does anyone have a smooth way of sorting large text files?  (By 
"large" I mean "in excess of 1GB" and by "text files" I mean "flat 
ASCII database files.")

Here's the task:  I have a text database of a million or so records.  
Each record is about 1300 bytes long.  I need to change record 
format from fixed-field to delimited, sort the records in country name 
order, then output in 10,000 record pieces to sequentially numbered 
text files.  I already have routines to change format and output the 
file in pieces; it's the sorting part that has me wondering.

Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Thanks!
Janine

(aka "Louisville Girl")