Line range extractor
Paste a long text, type the first and last line number and get just those lines. Add a step to take every 2nd or 5th line, or invert the choice to delete the range and keep the rest.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Paste your text.
- Enter the first line number in “From line” and the last in “To line” (empty means the end).
- Set “Every” above 1 to keep only every k-th line of that range.
- Tick “Remove these lines instead” to delete the range and keep everything else.
How it works
Every line gets a number from 1. A line is chosen when its number is at least the first one, at most the last one (if given), and its distance from the first is a multiple of the step. The chosen lines are joined with line breaks.
Worked example
With the 8 sample lines, From 2 to 6 gives “Line two” to “Line six”, 5 lines. From 1, to the end, every 3, gives lines 1, 4 and 7. Removing lines 2 to 6 leaves lines 1, 7 and 8.
Tips
Use it to cut a header from a data file (From 2), take a sample of every 10th row, or pull one page out of a long list.
Frequently asked questions
How are lines numbered?
The first line is line 1. A blank line counts like any other, and a line break at the very end of the text does not add an extra empty line.
What does the Every field do?
It takes every k-th line of the range, starting with its first line. From 1 to the end, every 3, gives lines 1, 4, 7 and so on. Every 1 gives all lines in the range.
What if To line is empty?
Then the range runs to the last line of the text.
How do I get only the even lines?
Set From line to 2, leave To line empty and set Every to 2. For odd lines, start from 1.