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Introduction:

Sorting strings is a fundamental text-processing task that arranges lines into a predictable order, enabling quicker scanning, comparison, and downstream automation. Alphabetical, natural, length-based, and randomised sequencing each address different editorial or analytical needs.

This browser-only utility accepts any pasted text or uploaded file, trims or preserves formatting as directed, then applies your chosen ordering while optionally culling blanks and duplicates. A reactive engine updates the output and statistics live as you adjust settings.

Use it to tidy log snippets before diffing, alphabetise mailing lists, or shuffle brainstorming ideas for unbiased reviews. *Always verify critical files after automated edits for unintended truncation or oversight.*

Technical Details:

Lexicographic ordering compares Unicode code points; natural ordering blends lexical comparison with embedded number awareness; length ordering ranks by character count. A locale-aware collator normalises case when requested, guaranteeing consistent results across language settings.

  1. Normalise end-of-line sequences to \n.
  2. Optionally trim whitespace around each line.
  3. Filter empty lines when ignore_blank is enabled.
  4. Apply selected sort comparator (alpha, natural, length, reverse, shuffle).
  5. Remove duplicate keys when unique is enabled.
  6. Expose live metrics and actionable export options.
Sort modeComparator focus
Alphabetical A-Z / Z-AUnicode code-point order
Natural A-Z / Z-ANumeric substrings interpreted as integers
LengthAscending character count
ReverseOriginal list reversed
ShuffleFisher–Yates-style random swap
  • case_sensitive – compare exact glyphs; default off.
  • unique – keep first occurrence of each line.
  • ignore_blank – discard empty lines.
  • trim_lines – strip leading and trailing spaces.

Example (natural A-Z, case insensitive):

Line2
Line10
line1
→ line1
Line2
Line10
  • Locale detection relies on the runtime’s default; unexpected accents may mis-order non-Latin scripts.
  • Random shuffle does not guarantee cryptographic randomness.
  • Duplicate detection is case-insensitive when case_sensitive is off.
  • Very large files may exhaust browser memory on low-resource devices.
  • Mixed end-of-line styles within a file.
  • Invisible zero-width characters altering string equality.
  • Lines containing surrogate pairs with inconsistent normalisation.
  • Shuffled output repeating when the dataset is tiny.

Locale-aware comparison follows the Unicode Collation Algorithm (UTS-10) and the ECMAScript Internationalisation API specification. Natural sort behaviour aligns with human-friendly list ordering discussed by Alphanum research and ISO 80000-1 section 3.1.

All processing occurs client-side; no personal data leaves your device.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Follow these concise steps to transform any text block.

  1. Paste text or drop a file into the input field.
  2. Select a sort mode matching your goal.
  3. Toggle case sensitivity and trimming as needed.
  4. Enable duplicate or blank-line removal to refine content.
  5. Copy or download the sorted output or accompanying CSV statistics.

FAQ:

Is my data stored?

No. Everything runs within your browser session; nothing is transmitted.

Does the tool support non-Latin scripts?

Yes, ordering follows your locale’s collation rules, though results may vary for unrecognised scripts.

What is natural sorting?

Natural sorting treats embedded numbers as integers, so “file2” appears before “file10”.

Why are duplicates not removed?

Ensure Delete duplicate lines is enabled and case sensitivity set correctly for your text.

How random is the shuffle option?

It uses Math.random(), suitable for casual tasks but not for security-critical randomisation.

Glossary:

Alphabetical
Unicode code-point ordering.
Natural sort
Ordering that recognises numeric substrings.
Collator
Locale-aware comparison engine.
Duplicate line
Exact or case-matched text already present.
Trim
Remove leading and trailing whitespace.