VB Dataset Sorting Problem

[cwcookman]

I have a set of data that needs to be sorted.

It is comprised of six numbers per line (a pair of triplet data sets), there may be more than 500 lines

The data comes in a form where the lines are all jumbled up like this:

A(8),B(8)C(8),A(9),B(9),C(9)
A(5),B(5)C(5),A(6),B(6),C(6)
A(1),B(1)C(1),A(2),B(2),C(2)
A(2),B(2)C(2),A(3),B(3),C(3)
A(4),B(4)C(4),A(5),B(5),C(5)
A(3),B(3)C(3),A(4),B(4),C(4)
A(6),B(6)C(6),A(7),B(7),C(7)
A(7),B(7)C(7),A(8),B(8),C(8)
A(0),B(0)C(0),A(1),B(1),C(1)
A(9),B(9)C(9),A(10),B(10),C(10)
A(16),B(16)C(16),A(17),B(17),C(17)
A(12),B(12)C(12),A(13),B(13),C(13)
A(n),B(n)C(n),A(n),B(n),C(n)
A(14),B(14)C(14),A(15),B(15),C(15)
A(15),B(15)C(15),A(16),B(16),C(16)
A(11),B(11)C(11),A(12),B(12),C(12)
A(n-1),B(n-16)C(n-1),A(n-1),B(n-1),C(n-1)
.......
A(13),B(13)C(13),A(14),B(14),C(14)


The sequence on each line is not changed but the line position is. The jumbling does not follow a pattern, it is random.


When sorted correctly the data should take the form:

A(0),B(0)C(0),A(1),B(1),C(1)
A(1),B(1)C(1),A(2),B(2),C(2)
A(2),B(2)C(2),A(3),B(3),C(3)
A(3),B(3)C(3),A(4),B(4),C(4)
A(4),B(4)C(4),A(5),B(5),C(5)
A(5),B(5)C(5),A(6),B(6),C(6)
A(6),B(6)C(6),A(7),B(7),C(7)
A(7),B(7)C(7),A(8),B(8),C(8)
A(8),B(8)C(8),A(9),B(9),C(9)
A(9),B(9)C(9),A(10),B(10),C(10)
A(11),B(11)C(11),A(12),B(12),C(12)
A(12),B(12)C(12),A(13),B(13),C(13)
A(13),B(13)C(13),A(14),B(14),C(14)
A(14),B(14)C(14),A(15),B(15),C(15)
A(15),B(15)C(15),A(16),B(16),C(16)
A(16),B(16)C(16),A(17),B(17),C(17)
......
A(n-1),B(n-16)C(n-1),A(n-1),B(n-1),C(n-1)
A(n),B(n)C(n),A(n),B(n),C(n)

Notice that for each line the last triplet matches the first triplet of the next line; however, as the lines

""""
A(9),B(9)C(9),A(10),B(10),C(10)
A(11),B(11)C(11),A(12),B(12),C(12)

""""
show sometimes there are skips in the data.



Does anyone have an idea for a sort alogorith that will put the data file back together?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank You,
CWCookman

Edit,

It looks like my example may have been too abstract. I am dealing with actual numbers, not variables with indices.

Here is a small piece of an actual data file.


2251098,11322792,3000,2251349,11322625,3000
2250848,11321349,3000,2251349,11322625,3000
2251098,11322792,3000,2249880,11323773,3000
2249880,11323773,3000,2250587,11325115,3000
2250848,11321349,3000,2252137,11322137,3000
2250587,11325115,3000,2252035,11324479,3000
2252973,11325105,3000,2253656,11324885,3000
2252035,11324479,3000,2252973,11325105,3000
2253656,11324885,3000,2254407,11325342,3000
2252137,11322137,3000,2253694,11321591,3000
2254191,11321166,3000,2253694,11321591,3000
2254407,11325342,3000,2255890,11325936,3000
2256065,11325874,3000,2255890,11325936,3000
2256065,11325874,3000,2256260,11325946,3000
2254191,11321166,3000,2255715,11322187,3000
2255715,11322187,3000,2256107,11321912,3000
2256107,11321912,3000,2256963,11320361,3000
2256963,11320361,3000,2257081,11320632,3000
2256260,11325946,3000,2256827,11326189,3000
2256827,11326189,3000,2258439,11326557,3000
2257081,11320632,3000,2258654,11319446,3000
2258654,11319446,3000,2259433,11317569,3000


I hope this clarifies things.

The missing comma only means my typing is poor sometimes.
CWC