Notepad++: Sorting by Length Made Easy with Text FX

When working with text files in Notepad++, you may need to sort lines based on their length. This can be especially useful when dealing with large documents where specific information needs to be extracted or reorganized. Fortunately, Notepad++ provides a simple solution using its built-in Text FX feature.

The first step is to select all lines from the end of the document by pressing Ctrl+End and then holding the Shift key while pressing Ctrl+Home. This will allow you to move the cursor caret to the desired position in the first line.

However, if your file contains lines with varying lengths, sorting them starting from a certain character position can be a more effective approach. For example, if all lines have a minimum length of 10 characters, you may want to sort them based on their content starting from the 5th character.

But what if you need to unsort your lines? While there is an unsort utility available for non-Windows systems, it's not particularly helpful in this scenario. Instead, you can use a pseudo-unsort method that replaces each line with just a little more than its original contents.

To do this, add a double quote character at the very start and end of your document by moving to the beginning (Ctrl+Home) or checking the Wrap option in the Text FX Find/Replace Dialog. Then, in the Replace Field, type ' followed by Ctrl+M or Ctrl+Enter, and type ' again.

In the Find Field, press Ctrl+M or Ctrl+Enter to add a double quote character at the start of each line. Next, move to the top of the document (Ctrl+Home) or check the Wrap option to ensure that the sorting operation is efficient.

The most effective way to accomplish this task is by using a regular replace mode rather than regular expression mode in Notepad++. This approach allows you to quickly and easily sort your lines based on their length, making it ideal for tasks such as extracting specific information or reorganizing large documents.

Notepad ++ sort by length