How does it work?

This tool sorts lines of text hierarchically based on multiple criteria. It's like sorting a spreadsheet by multiple columns, where each criterion is applied in order of priority.

The sorting follows these rules:

Each line is treated as a separate item to sort
Lines are split into tokens using the specified delimiter for each criterion
Criteria are applied in order (Level 1 first, then Level 2 for ties, etc.)
Each criterion can be configured with its own delimiter, token index, and sort options
Numeric sorting can be enabled for numeric tokens
Each level can be sorted in ascending or descending order

Example

Consider this CSV data with last name, first name, age, city, and job:

Smith,John,42,New York,Engineer
Johnson,Bob,55,Chicago,Manager
Brown,Alice,29,San Francisco,Developer
Wilson,Charlie,47,Boston,Architect
Smith,Jane,38,Los Angeles,Designer

Sort by last name (Level 1), then by age numerically (Level 2):

Brown,Alice,29,San Francisco,Developer
Johnson,Bob,55,Chicago,Manager
Smith,Jane,38,Los Angeles,Designer
Smith,John,42,New York,Engineer
Wilson,Charlie,47,Boston,Architect

Sort by job (Level 1), then by city (Level 2):

Wilson,Charlie,47,Boston,Architect
Smith,Jane,38,Los Angeles,Designer
Brown,Alice,29,San Francisco,Developer
Smith,John,42,New York,Engineer
Johnson,Bob,55,Chicago,Manager

This tool is useful for:

Sorting complex data with multiple levels of organization
Creating custom sort orders for CSV or delimited data
Organizing data by primary, secondary, and tertiary criteria
Simulating database-like sorting with multiple columns
Preparing data for analysis or presentation with specific ordering requirements

Tips for Hierarchical Sorting

Order matters: The criteria are applied in the order listed (Level 1, then Level 2, etc.)
Delimiters: Each level can have its own delimiter (comma, tab, space, etc.)
Numeric sorting: Enable this for columns containing numbers to ensure proper numerical order
Descending order: Check this box to reverse the sort order for a specific level
Multiple levels: Add as many levels as needed for complex sorting requirements

Note:

For best results, ensure your data is consistently formatted with the same delimiters throughout. If a line doesn't have a token at the specified index for a criterion, it will be treated as having an empty value for that criterion.