diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 2b4699d09..1253fc5c9 100755
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ matrix:
   fast_finish: true
 
 env:
-  - LINT=true TYPE=standard
   - TYPE=standard DISTRO=redhat MONOLITHIC=y SYSTEMD=y WERROR=y
   - TYPE=standard DISTRO=redhat MONOLITHIC=n SYSTEMD=y WERROR=y
   - TYPE=standard DISTRO=debian MONOLITHIC=y SYSTEMD=y WERROR=y
@@ -27,6 +26,11 @@ env:
   - TYPE=mls DISTRO=gentoo MONOLITHIC=y SYSTEMD=n WERROR=y
   - TYPE=mls DISTRO=gentoo MONOLITHIC=n SYSTEMD=n WERROR=y
 
+matrix:
+  include:
+  - python: 3.7
+    env: LINT=true TYPE=standard
+
 sudo: false
 dist: bionic
 
@@ -91,7 +95,7 @@ install:
 script:
   - echo $TYPE $DISTRO $MONOLITHIC $SYSTEMD $WERROR
   - set -e
-  - if [ -n "$LINT" ] ; then ./testing/check_fc_files.py ; fi
+  - if [ -n "$LINT" ] ; then python3 -t -t -E -W error testing/check_fc_files.py ; fi
   - make bare
   - make conf
   - make
diff --git a/INSTALL b/INSTALL
index 7150e9636..f6baf8405 100644
--- a/INSTALL
+++ b/INSTALL
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 Reference Policy has the following build requirements:
 	* SELinux userspace 2.8
 	* Python >= 3.4
-	* GCC
 
 When developing a policy, running scripts from directory testing/ requires:
 	* Python >= 3.6
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f90e944c9..a4089f8ff 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -76,8 +76,6 @@ SED ?= sed
 SORT ?= LC_ALL=C sort
 UMASK ?= umask
 
-CFLAGS += -Wall -Wextra -Werror -O2
-
 # policy source layout
 poldir := policy
 moddir := $(poldir)/modules
@@ -98,7 +96,7 @@ genxml := $(PYTHON) $(support)/segenxml.py
 gendoc := $(PYTHON) $(support)/sedoctool.py
 genperm := $(PYTHON) $(support)/genclassperms.py
 policyvers := $(PYTHON) $(support)/policyvers.py
-fcsort := $(tmpdir)/fc_sort
+fcsort := $(PYTHON) $(support)/fc_sort.py
 setbools := $(AWK) -f $(support)/set_bools_tuns.awk
 get_type_attr_decl := $(SED) -r -f $(support)/get_type_attr_decl.sed
 comment_move_decl := $(SED) -r -f $(support)/comment_move_decl.sed
@@ -404,13 +402,6 @@ conf.intermediate: $(polxml)
 	@echo "Updating $(booleans) and $(mod_conf)"
 	$(verbose) $(gendoc) -b $(booleans) -m $(mod_conf) -x $(polxml)
 
-########################################
-#
-# Generate the fc_sort program
-#
-$(fcsort) : $(support)/fc_sort.c
-	$(verbose) $(CC) $(CFLAGS) $^ -o $@
-
 ########################################
 #
 # Documentation generation
@@ -644,7 +635,6 @@ bare: clean
 	$(verbose) rm -f $(tags)
 # don't remove these files if we're given a local root
 ifndef LOCAL_ROOT
-	$(verbose) rm -f $(fcsort)
 	$(verbose) rm -f $(support)/*.pyc
 	$(verbose) rm -Rf $(support)/__pycache__/
 ifneq ($(generated_te),)
diff --git a/Rules.modular b/Rules.modular
index e84371949..d6224e95d 100644
--- a/Rules.modular
+++ b/Rules.modular
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ $(tmpdir)/only_te_rules.conf: $(tmpdir)/all_te_files.conf
 #
 # Construct a base.fc
 #
-$(base_fc): $(tmpdir)/$(notdir $(base_fc)).tmp $(fcsort)
+$(base_fc): $(tmpdir)/$(notdir $(base_fc)).tmp
 	$(verbose) $(fcsort) $< $@
 
 $(tmpdir)/$(notdir $(base_fc)).tmp: $(m4support) $(tmpdir)/generated_definitions.conf $(base_fc_files)
diff --git a/Rules.monolithic b/Rules.monolithic
index 80e008213..88aeb5cf0 100644
--- a/Rules.monolithic
+++ b/Rules.monolithic
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ enableaudit: $(policy_conf)
 #
 # Construct file_contexts
 #
-$(fc): $(tmpdir)/$(notdir $(fc)).tmp $(fcsort)
+$(fc): $(tmpdir)/$(notdir $(fc)).tmp
 	$(verbose) $(fcsort) $< $@
 	$(verbose) $(GREP) -e HOME -e ROLE -e USER $@ > $(homedir_template)
 	$(verbose) $(SED) -i -e /HOME/d -e /ROLE/d -e /USER/d $@
diff --git a/support/fc_sort.c b/support/fc_sort.c
deleted file mode 100644
index bfe28ca8d..000000000
--- a/support/fc_sort.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,593 +0,0 @@
-/* Copyright 2005,2013 Tresys Technology
- *
- * Some parts of this came from matchpathcon.c in libselinux
- */
-
-/* PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM
- * The original setfiles sorting algorithm did not take into
- * account regular expression specificity. With the current
- * strict and targeted policies this is not an issue because
- * the file contexts are partially hand sorted and concatenated
- * in the right order so that the matches are generally correct.
- * The way reference policy and loadable policy modules handle
- * file contexts makes them come out in an unpredictable order
- * and therefore setfiles (or this standalone tool) need to sort
- * the regular expressions in a deterministic and stable way.
- */
-
-#define BUF_SIZE 4096;
-#define _GNU_SOURCE
-
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <ctype.h>
-
-typedef unsigned char bool_t;
-
-/* file_context_node
- * A node used in a linked list of file contexts.c
- * Each node contains the regular expression, the type and
- *  the context, as well as information about the regular
- *  expression. The regular expression data (meta, stem_len
- *  and str_len) can be filled in by using the fc_fill_data
- *  function after the regular expression has been loaded.
- * next points to the next node in the linked list.
- */
-typedef struct file_context_node {
-	char *path;
-	char *file_type;
-	char *context;
-	bool_t meta;
-	int stem_len;
-	int str_len;
-	struct file_context_node *next;
-} file_context_node_t;
-
-void file_context_node_destroy(file_context_node_t *x)
-{
-	if (!x)
-		return;
-
-	free(x->path);
-	free(x->file_type);
-	free(x->context);
-}
-
-
-
-/* file_context_bucket
- * A node used in a linked list of buckets that contain
- *  file_context_node's.
- * Each node contains a pointer to a file_context_node which
- *  is the header of its linked list. This linked list is the
- *  content of this bucket.
- * next points to the next bucket in the linked list.
- */
-typedef struct file_context_bucket {
-	file_context_node_t *data;
-	struct file_context_bucket *next;
-} file_context_bucket_t;
-
-
-
-/* fc_compare
- * Compares two file contexts' regular expressions and returns:
- *    -1 if a is less specific than b
- *     0 if a and be are equally specific
- *     1 if a is more specific than b
- * The comparison is based on the following statements,
- *  in order from most important to least important, given a and b:
- *     If a is a regular expression and b is not,
- *      -> a is less specific than b.
- *     If a's stem length is shorter than b's stem length,
- *      -> a is less specific than b.
- *     If a's string length is shorter than b's string length,
- *      -> a is less specific than b.
- *     If a does not have a specified type and b does,
- *      -> a is less specific than b.
- */
-int fc_compare(file_context_node_t *a, file_context_node_t *b)
-{
-	/* Check to see if either a or b have meta characters
-	 *  and the other doesn't. */
-	if (a->meta && !b->meta)
-		return -1;
-	if (b->meta && !a->meta)
-		return 1;
-
-	/* Check to see if either a or b have a shorter stem
-	 *  length than the other. */
-	if (a->stem_len < b->stem_len)
-		return -1;
-	if (b->stem_len < a->stem_len)
-		return 1;
-
-	/* Check to see if either a or b have a shorter string
-	 *  length than the other. */
-	if (a->str_len < b->str_len)
-		return -1;
-	if (b->str_len < a->str_len)
-		return 1;
-
-	/* Check to see if either a or b has a specified type
-	 *  and the other doesn't. */
-	if (!a->file_type && b->file_type)
-		return -1;
-	if (!b->file_type && a->file_type)
-		return 1;
-
-	/* If none of the above conditions were satisfied,
-	 * then a and b are equally specific. */
-	return 0;
-}
-
-
-
-/* fc_merge
- * Merges two sorted file context linked lists into one
- *  sorted one.
- * Pass two lists a and b, and after the completion of fc_merge,
- *  the final list is contained in a, and b is empty.
- */
-file_context_node_t *fc_merge(file_context_node_t *a,
-				   file_context_node_t *b)
-{
-	file_context_node_t *a_current;
-	file_context_node_t *b_current;
-	file_context_node_t *temp;
-	file_context_node_t *jumpto;
-
-	/* If a is a empty list, and b is not,
-	 *  set a as b and proceed to the end. */
-	if (!a && b)
-		a = b;
-	/* If b is an empty list, leave a as it is. */
-	else if (!b) {
-	} else {
-		/* Make it so the list a has the lesser
-		 *  first element always. */
-		if (fc_compare(a, b) == 1) {
-			temp = a;
-			a = b;
-			b = temp;
-		}
-		a_current = a;
-		b_current = b;
-
-		/* Merge by inserting b's nodes in between a's nodes. */
-		while (a_current->next && b_current) {
-			jumpto = a_current->next;
-
-			/* Insert b's nodes in between the current a node
-			 *  and the next a node.*/
-			while (b_current && a_current->next &&
-			       fc_compare(a_current->next,
-					  b_current) != -1) {
-
-				temp = a_current->next;
-				a_current->next = b_current;
-				b_current = b_current->next;
-				a_current->next->next = temp;
-				a_current = a_current->next;
-			}
-
-			/* Skip all the inserted node from b to the
-			 *  next node in the original a. */
-			a_current = jumpto;
-		}
-
-		/* if there is anything left in b to be inserted,
-		   put it on the end */
-		if (b_current) {
-			a_current->next = b_current;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return a;
-}
-
-
-
-/* fc_merge_sort
- * Sorts file contexts from least specific to more specific.
- * The bucket linked list is passed and after the completion
- *  of the fc_merge_sort function, there is only one bucket
- *  (pointed to by master) that contains a linked list
- *  of all the file contexts, in sorted order.
- * Explanation of the algorithm:
- *  The algorithm implemented in fc_merge_sort is an iterative
- *   implementation of merge sort.
- *  At first, each bucket has a linked list of file contexts
- *   that are 1 element each.
- *  Each pass, each odd numbered bucket is merged into the bucket
- *   before it. This halves the number of buckets each pass.
- *  It will continue passing over the buckets (as described above)
- *   until there is only  one bucket left, containing the list of
- *   file contexts, sorted.
- */
-void fc_merge_sort(file_context_bucket_t *master)
-{
-	file_context_bucket_t *current;
-	file_context_bucket_t *temp;
-
-	if (!master)
-		return;
-
-	/* Loop until master is the only bucket left
-	 * so that this will stop when master contains
-	 * the sorted list. */
-	while (master->next) {
-		current = master;
-
-		/* This loop merges buckets two-by-two. */
-		while (current) {
-			if (current->next) {
-				current->data =
-				    fc_merge(current->data,
-					     current->next->data);
-
-				temp = current->next;
-				current->next = current->next->next;
-
-				free(temp);
-			}
-
-			current = current->next;
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-
-
-/* fc_fill_data
- * This processes a regular expression in a file context
- *  and sets the data held in file_context_node, namely
- *  meta, str_len and stem_len.
- * The following changes are made to fc_node after the
- *  the completion of the function:
- *     fc_node->meta =		1 if path has a meta character, 0 if not.
- *     fc_node->str_len =	The string length of the entire path
- *     fc_node->stem_len = 	The number of characters up until
- *				 the first meta character.
- */
-void fc_fill_data(file_context_node_t *fc_node)
-{
-	int c = 0;
-
-	fc_node->meta = 0;
-	fc_node->stem_len = 0;
-	fc_node->str_len = 0;
-
-	/* Process until the string termination character
-	 *  has been reached.
-	 * Note: this while loop has been adapted from
-	 *  spec_hasMetaChars in matchpathcon.c from
-	 *  libselinux-1.22. */
-	while (fc_node->path[c] != '\0') {
-		switch (fc_node->path[c]) {
-		case '.':
-		case '^':
-		case '$':
-		case '?':
-		case '*':
-		case '+':
-		case '|':
-		case '[':
-		case '(':
-		case '{':
-			/* If a meta character is found,
-			 *  set meta to one */
-			fc_node->meta = 1;
-			break;
-		case '\\':
-			/* If a escape character is found,
-			 *  skip the next character. */
-			c++;
-			break;
-		default:
-			break;
-		}
-
-		/* If no meta character has been found yet,
-		 * add one to the stem length. */
-		if (!fc_node->meta)
-			fc_node->stem_len++;
-
-		fc_node->str_len++;
-		c++;
-	}
-}
-
-
-
-/* fc_free_file_context_node_list
- * Free the memory allocated to the linked list and its elements.
- */
-void fc_free_file_context_node_list(struct file_context_node *node)
-{
-	struct file_context_node *next;
-
-	while (node) {
-		next = node->next;
-		file_context_node_destroy(node);
-		free(node);
-		node = next;
-	}
-}
-
-
-
-/* main
- * This program takes in two arguments, the input filename and the
- *  output filename. The input file should be syntactically correct.
- * Overall what is done in the main is read in the file and store each
- *  line of code, sort it, then output it to the output file.
- */
-int main(int argc, char *argv[])
-{
-	int lines;
-	size_t start, finish, regex_len, context_len;
-	size_t line_len, buf_len, i;
-	char *input_name, *output_name, *line_buf;
-
-	file_context_node_t *temp;
-	file_context_node_t *head;
-	file_context_node_t *current;
-	file_context_bucket_t *master;
-	file_context_bucket_t *bcurrent;
-
-	FILE *in_file, *out_file;
-
-	/* Check for the correct number of command line arguments. */
-	if (argc < 2 || argc > 3) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s <infile> [<outfile>]\n",argv[0]);
-		return 1;
-	}
-
-	input_name = argv[1];
-	output_name = (argc >= 3) ? argv[2] : NULL;
-
-	lines = 0;
-
-	/* Open the input file. */
-	if (!(in_file = fopen(input_name, "r"))) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Error: failure opening input file for read.\n");
-		return 1;
-	}
-
-	/* Initialize the head of the linked list. */
-	head = current = (file_context_node_t*)calloc(1, sizeof(file_context_node_t));
-	if (!head) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Error: failure allocating memory.\n");
-		return 1;
-	}
-
-	/* Parse the file into a file_context linked list. */
-	line_buf = NULL;
-
-	while ( getline(&line_buf, &buf_len, in_file) != -1 ){
-		line_len = strlen(line_buf);
-
-		if( line_len == 0 || line_len == 1)
-			continue;
-
-		/* Get rid of whitespace from the front of the line. */
-		for (i = 0; i < line_len; i++) {
-			if (!isspace(line_buf[i]))
-				break;
-		}
-
-		if (i >= line_len)
-			continue;
-
-		/* Check if the line isn't empty and isn't a comment */
-		if (line_buf[i] == '#')
-			continue;
-
-		/* We have a valid line - allocate a new node. */
-		temp = (file_context_node_t *)calloc(1, sizeof(file_context_node_t));
-		if (!temp) {
-			free(line_buf);
-			fprintf(stderr, "Error: failure allocating memory.\n");
-			fc_free_file_context_node_list(head);
-			return 1;
-		}
-
-		/* Parse out the regular expression from the line. */
-		start = i;
-
-		while (i < line_len && (!isspace(line_buf[i])))
-			i++;
-		finish = i;
-
-		regex_len = finish - start;
-
-		if (regex_len == 0) {
-			file_context_node_destroy(temp);
-			free(temp);
-			continue;
-		}
-
-		temp->path = (char*)strndup(&line_buf[start], regex_len);
-		if (!temp->path) {
-			file_context_node_destroy(temp);
-			free(temp);
-			free(line_buf);
-			fprintf(stderr, "Error: failure allocating memory.\n");
-			fc_free_file_context_node_list(head);
-			return 1;
-		}
-
-		/* Get rid of whitespace after the regular expression. */
-		for (; i < line_len; i++) {
-			if (!isspace(line_buf[i]))
-				break;
-		}
-
-		if (i == line_len) {
-			file_context_node_destroy(temp);
-			free(temp);
-			continue;
-		}
-
-		/* Parse out the type from the line (if it
-		 * is there). */
-		if (line_buf[i] == '-') {
-			temp->file_type = (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * 3);
-			if (!(temp->file_type)) {
-				file_context_node_destroy(temp);
-				free(temp);
-				free(line_buf);
-				fprintf(stderr, "Error: failure allocating memory.\n");
-				fc_free_file_context_node_list(head);
-				return 1;
-			}
-
-			if( i + 2 >= line_len ) {
-				file_context_node_destroy(temp);
-				free(temp);
-				continue;
-			}
-
-			/* Fill the type into the array. */
-			temp->file_type[0] = line_buf[i];
-			temp->file_type[1] = line_buf[i + 1];
-			i += 2;
-			temp->file_type[2] = 0;
-
-			/* Get rid of whitespace after the type. */
-			for (; i < line_len; i++) {
-				if (!isspace(line_buf[i]))
-					break;
-			}
-
-			if (i == line_len) {
-				file_context_node_destroy(temp);
-				free(temp);
-				continue;
-			}
-		}
-
-		/* Parse out the context from the line. */
-		start = i;
-		while (i < line_len && (!isspace(line_buf[i])))
-			i++;
-		finish = i;
-
-		context_len = finish - start;
-
-		temp->context = (char*)strndup(&line_buf[start], context_len);
-		if (!temp->context) {
-			file_context_node_destroy(temp);
-			free(temp);
-			free(line_buf);
-			fprintf(stderr, "Error: failure allocating memory.\n");
-			fc_free_file_context_node_list(head);
-			return 1;
-		}
-
-		/* Set all the data about the regular
-		 * expression. */
-		fc_fill_data(temp);
-
-		/* Link this line of code at the end of
-		 * the linked list. */
-		current->next = temp;
-		current = current->next;
-		lines++;
-	}
-	free(line_buf);
-	fclose(in_file);
-
-	/* Create the bucket linked list from the earlier linked list. */
-	current = head->next;
-	bcurrent = master =
-	    (file_context_bucket_t *)
-	    malloc(sizeof(file_context_bucket_t));
-	if (!bcurrent) {
-		printf
-		    ("Error: failure allocating memory.\n");
-		fc_free_file_context_node_list(head);
-		return -1;
-	}
-	bcurrent->next = NULL;
-	bcurrent->data = NULL;
-
-	/* Go until all the nodes have been put in individual buckets. */
-	while (current) {
-		/* Copy over the file context line into the bucket. */
-		bcurrent->data = current;
-		current = current->next;
-
-		/* Detach the node in the bucket from the old list. */
-		bcurrent->data->next = NULL;
-
-		/* If there should be another bucket, put one at the end. */
-		if (current) {
-			bcurrent->next =
-			    (file_context_bucket_t *)
-			    malloc(sizeof(file_context_bucket_t));
-			if (!(bcurrent->next)) {
-				printf
-				    ("Error: failure allocating memory.\n");
-				free(head);
-				fc_free_file_context_node_list(current);
-				fc_merge_sort(master);
-				fc_free_file_context_node_list(master->data);
-				free(master);
-				return -1;
-			}
-
-			/* Make sure the new bucket thinks it's the end of the
-			 * list. */
-			bcurrent->next->next = NULL;
-
-			bcurrent = bcurrent->next;
-		}
-	}
-
-	/* Sort the bucket list. */
-	fc_merge_sort(master);
-
-	free(head);
-
-	/* Open the output file. */
-	if (output_name) {
-		if (!(out_file = fopen(output_name, "w"))) {
-			printf("Error: failure opening output file for write.\n");
-			fc_free_file_context_node_list(master->data);
-			free(master);
-			return -1;
-		}
-	} else {
-		out_file = stdout;
-	}
-
-	/* Output the sorted file_context linked list to the output file. */
-	current = master->data;
-
-	while (current) {
-		/* Output the path. */
-		fprintf(out_file, "%s\t\t", current->path);
-
-		/* Output the type, if there is one. */
-		if (current->file_type) {
-			fprintf(out_file, "%s\t", current->file_type);
-		}
-
-		/* Output the context. */
-		fprintf(out_file, "%s\n", current->context);
-
-		current = current->next;
-	}
-
-	fc_free_file_context_node_list(master->data);
-	free(master);
-
-	if (output_name) {
-		fclose(out_file);
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
diff --git a/support/fc_sort.py b/support/fc_sort.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9e38a9ebe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/fc_sort.py
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+"""Sort file context definitions
+
+The original setfiles sorting algorithm did not take into
+account regular expression specificity. With the current
+strict and targeted policies this is not an issue because
+the file contexts are partially hand sorted and concatenated
+in the right order so that the matches are generally correct.
+The way reference policy and loadable policy modules handle
+file contexts makes them come out in an unpredictable order
+and therefore setfiles (or this standalone tool) need to sort
+the regular expressions in a deterministic and stable way.
+"""
+
+import sys
+import argparse
+from pathlib import Path
+import re
+
+
+class FileContext():
+    """ Container class for file context defintions
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, context_line):
+        """ Constructor
+        """
+
+        matches = re.match(r'^(?P<path>\S+)\s+(?P<type>-.)?\s*(?P<context>.+)$', context_line)
+        if matches is None:
+            raise ValueError
+
+        self.path, self.file_type, self.context = matches.group('path', 'type', 'context')
+
+        self.compute_diffdata()
+
+    def compute_diffdata(self):
+        """ Compute the interal values needed for comparing two file context definitions
+        """
+
+        self.meta = False
+        self.stem_len = 0
+        self.str_len = 0
+
+        skip_escaped = False
+
+        for char in self.path:
+            if skip_escaped:
+                skip_escaped = False
+                continue
+
+            if char in ('.', '^', '$', '?', '*', '+', '|', '[', '(', '{',):
+                self.meta = True
+            if char == '\\':
+                skip_escaped = True
+
+            if not self.meta:
+                self.stem_len += 1
+
+            self.str_len += 1
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _compare(a, b):
+        """ Compare two file context definitions
+
+        Returns:
+          -1 if a is less specific than b
+           0 if a and be are equally specific
+           1 if a is more specific than b
+        The comparison is based on the following statements,
+        in order from most important to least important, given a and b:
+           If a is a regular expression and b is not,
+            -> a is less specific than b.
+           If a's stem length is shorter than b's stem length,
+            -> a is less specific than b.
+           If a's string length is shorter than b's string length,
+            -> a is less specific than b.
+           If a does not have a specified type and b does,
+            -> a is less specific than b.
+        """
+
+        # Check to see if either a or b have meta characters and the other doesn't
+        if a.meta and not b.meta:
+            return -1
+        if b.meta and not a.meta:
+            return 1
+
+        # Check to see if either a or b have a shorter stem length than the other
+        if a.stem_len < b.stem_len:
+            return -1
+        if b.stem_len < a.stem_len:
+            return 1
+
+        # Check to see if either a or b have a shorter string length than the other
+        if a.str_len < b.str_len:
+            return -1
+        if b.str_len < a.str_len:
+            return 1
+
+        # Check to see if either a or b has a specified type and the other doesn't
+        if not a.file_type and b.file_type:
+            return -1
+        if not b.file_type and a.file_type:
+            return 1
+
+        # If none of the above conditions were satisfied, then a and b are equally specific
+        return 0
+
+    def __lt__(self, other):
+        return self._compare(self, other) is -1
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        if self.file_type:
+            return '{}\t\t{}\t{}'.format(self.path, self.file_type, self.context)
+        else:
+            return '{}\t\t{}'.format(self.path, self.context)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Sort file context definitions')
+    parser.add_argument('infile', metavar='INFILE', type=Path,
+                        help='input file of the original file context definitions')
+    parser.add_argument('outfile', metavar='OUTFILE', nargs='?', type=Path, default=None,
+                        help='output file for the sorted file context definitions')
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    file_context_definitions = []
+
+    # Parse the input file
+    with args.infile.open('r') as fd:
+        for lineno, line in enumerate(fd, start=1):
+            line = line.strip()
+
+            # Ignore comments and empty lines
+            if not line or line.startswith('#'):
+                continue
+
+            try:
+                file_context_definitions.append(FileContext(line))
+            except ValueError:
+                print('{}:{}: unable to parse a file context line: {}'.format(args.infile, lineno, line))
+                exit(1)
+
+    # Sort
+    file_context_definitions.sort()
+
+    # Print output, either to file or if no output file given to stdout
+
+    with args.outfile.open('w') if args.outfile else sys.stdout as fd:
+        for fcd in file_context_definitions:
+            print(fcd, file=fd)