Sort text lines

Alphabetical order is not numeric order

Sorting compares each line as a text value. This is useful for names, labels, and many lists, but it means values such as “100” and “20” are ordered by their characters rather than their numerical magnitude. Locale-aware comparison can also order accented characters differently depending on browser locale and language settings.

The tool preserves line content but changes line order. If each line is part of a multi-line record, sorting individual lines can break the association between fields. Sort only when each line is an independent item, or use a record-aware application for structured rows.

When and how to sort

Sorting helps scan a list, compare labels, or prepare text for a review. Before sorting, decide whether the original order carries priority, chronology, ranking, or grouping information. Keep a source copy if the sequence may matter later.

1. Place one independent item on each line.
2. Check whether case, locale, and numeric order are important.
3. Run the transformation and inspect the first, middle, and last items.
4. Confirm blank lines and duplicate entries are treated as intended.

To remove exact duplicate entries, use Remove Duplicate Lines.