Sort order, typecode order, and typekey priority

A typical use for a .sort file is to support Japanese with other languages on the same server. For example, you might want to provide a sort order for Japanese prefectures, which customarily are in order from north to south—Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, so on.

Typically, instead of using .sort files, typecode order is determined by the priority defined in the typelist and by the sort order of the typecode display name. If a .sort file is present for a language, then the typekey priority is not used to determine sort order for that language. See Determining the order of typekeys.