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{{Short description|Early software utility from Microsoft}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Microsoft Sort
| screenshot = MicrosoftSort1.jpg
| caption = Photo of case
| screenshot_size = 300px
| screenshot_alt = Photo of case
| author = [[Microsoft]]
| released = {{Start date and age|1983}}
| discontinued = yes
| programming language = [[COBOL]]
| operating system = [[Apple II]], [[Apple IIe|IIe]], [[CP/M-80]] and [[MS-DOS]]
| size =
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] [[commercial software]]
}}

'''Microsoft Sort''' is a [[software]] utility developed by the [[Microsoft|Microsoft Corporation]] in 1982{{En dash}}83.<ref>{{Cite web |last=jwmunn |title=The History of Microsoft - 1983 |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/shows/history/history-of-microsoft-1983 |access-date=2023-02-03 |website=learn.microsoft.com |date=2 April 2009 |language=en-us}}</ref> It was sold in two [[Software versioning|versions]] {{En dash}} as a standalone [[Software utility|utility]] and as a version hosted in Microsoft [[COBOL]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Microsoft Corporation |url=http://archive.org/details/microsoft-catalog-1983-03 |title=Microsoft Product Catalog (March 1983) |date=March 1983}}</ref>

The 95 page [[Ring binder|ring-bound]] [[Instruction manual (computer and video games)|manual]] describes the function of the software as follows: "Microsoft Standalone SORT is a programmable [[Sorting algorithm|sorting]] and [[Merge sort|merging]] utility. It accepts [[data file]]s and arranges the records contained in these files in the order you assign. You may specify sequence keys, which are specific [[Data (computing)|data]] [[Field (computer science)|field]](s) within each record, for comparison of records. Also, you may specify a selection procedure."

The software came on a single 5¼" floppy [[diskette]]. The software and manual came packaged in a hinged [[Perspex]] box, which Microsoft described as "EaselBox". It was designed to double up as a book stand for the reference manual.

At the time of sale, Microsoft Sort was one of 32 products available from the company including productivity software, [[educational software]], [[Personal computer game|recreational software]], [[Computer hardware|hardware]] and [[programming language]]s.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Discontinued Microsoft software|Sort]]

Microsoft Sort - Revision history

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