diff --git a/src/scgenerator/io.py b/src/scgenerator/io.py
index 6bc790d..bdb2f86 100644
--- a/src/scgenerator/io.py
+++ b/src/scgenerator/io.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import datetime
 import importlib
 import json
 import os
+import re
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import BinaryIO, Protocol, Sequence
@@ -327,3 +328,19 @@ def get_symb(right: bool, rel_i, abs_j, line_pos, max_ind):
             return "╮╭"[right]
         else:
             raise ValueError("top of left columns cannot be below line")
+
+
+def _to_num(s: str) -> str | float | int:
+    for f in int, float:
+        try:
+            return f(s)
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+    return s
+
+
+NUM_REGEX = r"[+-]?[\d]+(?:\.?[\d]+)?(?:[eE][+-]?\d+)?"
+
+
+def logical_sort_key(s: os.PathLike | str) -> tuple:
+    return tuple(_to_num(el) for el in re.split(f"({NUM_REGEX})", str(s)) if el)