Number list generator, make, sort and shuffle.

A number list generator writes out a sequence of numbers for you, so you do not have to type 1, 2, 3 up to 100 by hand. You give it a start, a step and where to stop, and it counts. This one also formats the result (zero padding, a prefix, quotes, any separator), puts it in order or shuffles it, and can sort and tidy a list of numbers you paste in. It is a sequence maker, not a random picker: for random numbers, use the random number generator.

How to use the generator

1. Leave Make a list selected, or pick a chip such as 1 to 100, Even or Countdown to fill in the boxes.
2. Type the Start, the Step and the End. Choose How many instead of Stop at if you know the count and not the last number.
3. Set Zero padding, a Prefix or Suffix, Quotes and the Separator you need.
4. Pick an order under Put the list: smallest first, largest first, reversed or shuffled. Tick Remove repeats if you want each number once.
5. Press Copy the list or Download .txt. Copy link shares your settings.
6. To sort numbers you already have, choose Sort my numbers and paste them into the left box.

Worked examples

• 1 to 10: start 1, step 1, end 10 gives 10 numbers. The number of items is (end minus start) divided by the step, plus 1: (10 - 1) / 1 + 1 = 10.
• Even numbers up to 20: start 2, step 2, end 20 gives 10 numbers, and their sum is 110.
• 001 to 010: set Zero padding to 3 and the list reads 001, 002 and so on. With the prefix item- it becomes item-001.
• A countdown: start 10, end 1. The step stays 1 and the list counts down. If the step has the wrong sign for the direction, the tool counts the right way and says so.
• Tenths: start 0, step 0.1, end 1 gives 11 numbers, 0, 0.1, 0.2 up to 1. The numbers are worked out exactly, so 0.3 is 0.3.
• 1 to 100: 100 numbers with a sum of 5050.

Separators and formats

New line gives one number per line, which suits a spreadsheet column. Comma gives 1,2,3 for a CSV row or an array, and Comma and space gives 1, 2, 3. Quotes wrap each number, so "1","2","3" is ready for a SQL list or a JSON array of strings. Your own separator can be any text, with \n for a new line and \t for a tab.

Repeats

Repeat each writes every number more than once in a row: 1 1 2 2 3 3 with a value of 2. Repeat list writes the whole list again, so 1 2 3 1 2 3. They help when you need a pattern for test data. Remove repeats works the other way and keeps the first copy of every number.

Sorting numbers you paste

Paste numbers separated by new lines, spaces, commas or semicolons. The tool sorts them as numbers, so 10, 9, 100, 1 becomes 1, 9, 10, 100. A text sort would give 1, 10, 100, 9. Whole numbers of any size are compared exactly. Decimals and negatives work, and a decimal comma such as 1,5 is read as two numbers, 1 and 5. Anything that is not a number is left out and counted in the status line.

Cards show how many numbers there are, how many are different, the smallest, the largest, the sum, the average and the middle value. For 1, 3, 5, 7 the sum is 16, the average is 4 and the middle is 4, the mean of 3 and 5. Shuffling does not change these.

What people use lists for

A numbered list is a quick way to build test data, file names (frame-001 to frame-120), a column of row numbers for a spreadsheet, a list of IDs for a database query, or a set of numbers for a draw or a raffle. For a database list, choose Comma and space with single quotes or none. For a spreadsheet, keep New line and paste the result into one column. For a draw, make the list, tick Shuffled, and read the first numbers from the top. The shuffle gives each order the same chance.

Limits and common problems

• The list stops at 100,000. A longer list is cut to the first 100,000 and the status line says so.
• The step is 0. The list would never end, so the tool asks for another step.
• Shuffle changes every time you press the button. Changing other settings keeps the same shuffled order until you press Shuffle again.
• Scientific notation. A pasted 1e3 is read as 1000. Start, step and end take plain numbers only.

For a list of words rather than numbers, try alphabetize list.