Split a list

Split a list into groups of the size you choose while keeping the order of its items. It helps when preparing processing batches or dividing an inventory into sections.

Enter one item per line and set the maximum number of items in each group; the starting value is ten. The tool trims spaces at the ends of lines, ignores empty lines and keeps duplicates. Groups are separated by a line of three hyphens surrounded by blank lines. The last group may contain fewer items than the others. The separators are part of the exported text, so remove them if the system you import into expects values only. The right group size depends on what comes next. For a manual check, short batches are easier to go through. For a repetitive operation, use the maximum capacity accepted by the destination system. For example, a list of twenty-three references split into groups of ten gives two full groups and a last group of three. Nothing is added to fill the last batch. Splitting is not an even distribution across a fixed number of people: the tool fills one group after another up to the requested size. It also keeps the input order; it neither shuffles nor sorts the values. If duplicates must be excluded, clean the list first with the dedicated tool. Because empty lines and edge spaces are removed, compare the result with the original when those characters matter. Three-hyphen separators make batches easy to read but may not suit an automated import, so check the expected format before pasting the text into a spreadsheet, a command or a form. For sensitive work, count the useful items before and after splitting to make sure no line has been lost. When sharing work between several teams, remember that splitting follows the sequence of lines: it takes neither workload nor difficulty into account. If you need a balanced allocation, check the number and nature of the items given to each group separately.