async def _get_single_item(self, k, g):
        """
        Used by sort()
        """
        if getattr(k, "decode", None):
            k = k.decode("utf-8")

        if '*' in g:
            g = g.replace('*', k)
            if '->' in g:
                key, hash_key = g.split('->')
                single_item = await self.get(key, {}).get(hash_key)
            else:
                single_item = await self.get(g)
        elif '#' in g:
            single_item = k
        else:
            single_item = None
        return b(single_item)
Used by sort()