How do I sort only a visual selection using a fixed virtual column as the key?

Explanation

When lines contain aligned columns, plain :sort often gives the wrong order because it compares from column 1. This trick sorts a selected block using text that starts at a specific virtual column, which is ideal for fixed-width reports, compiler listings, and table-like logs. It lets you keep headings and surrounding context untouched by limiting the operation to your visual range.

How it works

• Enter visual line mode (V) and select the lines you want to sort
• :'<,'> is the automatically inserted range for the visual selection
• :sort /\%20v/ tells Vim to start comparison at virtual column 20
• \%20v is a column atom: match position at virtual column 20 (tabs/spaces aware)

Example

Given this block where the status begins around column 20:

job-a            pending
job-b            done
job-c            failed

Select the three lines, then run:

:'<,'>sort /\%20v/

Now ordering is based on pending/done/failed instead of job-a/job-b/job-c.

Tips

• Use :set list temporarily if you need to inspect exact alignment before choosing the column
• Combine with :sort! for reverse order
• If your key is delimiter-based rather than fixed-width, use an external sort with a field separator instead