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TinySolve

Text Sorter

Sort lines alphabetically or by number, reverse them, or shuffle them at random.

Runs in your browser — nothing you type is sent anywhere

With this on, item2 comes before item10. Plain alphabetical order puts item10 first, because it compares character by character.

Result

The result appears here as you type. Nothing is sent anywhere — the work happens in this page.

About the Text Sorter

Sorting a list by hand stops being practical somewhere around twenty items, and spreadsheets are a heavy way to alphabetise a few dozen lines pasted from somewhere else. This sorts whatever you paste, one line at a time, as you type.

The option that actually matters is natural number ordering. Sorting as plain text compares character by character, so item10 lands before item2 — because the character 1 comes before 2, regardless of what the whole number means. With natural ordering on, embedded numbers are compared by value and the list comes out item1, item2, item10 as anyone would expect. It is on by default because the alternative surprises people almost every time.

Case sensitivity is off by default, so Apple and apple sort together rather than all capitals sorting before all lowercase. Turn it on when the distinction matters. Blank lines are removed by default, since they are usually accidental.

Reverse and shuffle are included because they are the same shape of task. Reverse flips the existing order without sorting it, which is useful for a list that is already meaningfully ordered. Shuffle randomises, and can be run again for a different arrangement.

How to use the Text Sorter

  1. Paste your lines

    One item per line. Names, filenames, tasks, keywords — anything that goes one to a line.

  2. Choose the order

    A to Z, Z to A, reverse the existing order, or shuffle at random. Shuffle can be rerun for a different arrangement.

  3. Adjust how it compares

    Decide whether numbers should be ordered by value, whether case matters, and whether blank lines should be dropped.

  4. Copy the sorted list

    Copy it or download it as a text file. The original stays in the box on the left, unchanged.

Frequently asked questions

Why does item10 come before item2 when sorting?
Because plain alphabetical sorting compares one character at a time, and the character 1 comes before 2. Switch on ordering numbers by value and the list sorts as item1, item2, item10. That option is on by default for this reason.
Does sorting treat capital letters differently?
By default no, so Apple and apple sort next to each other. Turning on match case exactly groups capitals separately, which is occasionally what you want for identifiers but rarely for ordinary lists.
Can I sort without losing my blank lines?
Yes. Removing blank lines is on by default because they are usually accidental, but switching it off keeps them and sorts them along with everything else.
What is the difference between reverse and Z to A?
Z to A sorts alphabetically and then flips it. Reverse does not sort at all — it simply turns the list upside down, keeping whatever order you pasted. Use reverse when the existing order already means something.
Is my list sent anywhere?
No. The sorting happens in your browser as you type, and nothing is transmitted or stored. That matters for the kind of lists people sort, which are often internal data or customer records.

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