BYTETOOLS

Text Column Aligner

Line up messy text into neat columns. Split on whitespace or a delimiter and align left, right, centre or on the decimal point.

What is the Text Column Aligner?

Text Column Aligner turns ragged, hard-to-scan text into evenly spaced columns, the same job the Unix column -t command does.

  • Splits on whitespace runs or any delimiter you choose
  • Left, right, centre and decimal-point alignment
  • Quoted comma-separated fields are parsed correctly
  • Adjustable gutter width and optional column separator
  • Short rows are padded so the grid stays square
  • Copy or download the result as a text file

How to use the Text Column Aligner

  1. 1

    Paste your rows into the input box, one record per line.

  2. 2

    Choose whether to split columns on runs of whitespace or on a specific delimiter.

  3. 3

    Pick left, right, centre or decimal-point alignment and set the gutter width.

  4. 4

    Optionally add a separator character such as a pipe between columns.

  5. 5

    Copy or download the aligned text.

About the Text Column Aligner

Text Column Aligner turns ragged, hard-to-scan text into evenly spaced columns, the same job the Unix column -t command does. Paste rows split by spaces, tabs, commas or any character you choose, and every field is padded so the columns line up in any monospaced font.

You can align columns to the left, the right, the centre, or on the decimal point so a list of prices or measurements reads properly. Comma-separated input is parsed with full quoting rules, so a quoted field containing a comma stays in one piece instead of being split in two.

Alignment happens entirely in your browser and nothing is uploaded. Paste logs, config snippets or exported data without worrying about where it goes, and keep using the tool when you are offline. Rows with fewer fields than the rest are padded rather than dropped, so ragged exports still produce a clean grid you can paste into a code block or a plain text file.

Frequently asked questions

How do I align text into columns without a spreadsheet?

Paste your rows here and pick a delimiter. Every field is padded to the width of the widest value in its column, so the output lines up in any monospaced font or code block.

What does decimal alignment do?

It lines up the decimal points in a column of numbers so the digits sit in the right place value. Cells that are not plain numbers are aligned to the right of the whole-number part instead.

Will a comma inside a quoted field break the columns?

No. Comma and semicolon input is parsed with proper quoting rules, so a field written as "Bolt, hex" is treated as one value rather than being split at the comma.

What happens to rows with fewer fields than the others?

Missing fields are padded with blanks so the row still lines up with the rest of the grid. Nothing is dropped and the tool never errors on ragged input.

Does this work like the Unix column command?

Yes, it is the same idea as column -t, with extra alignment modes and delimiter handling. The difference is it runs in your browser, so no data leaves your device.

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