Sorting lines in Notepad++ without the TextFX plugin

Question

The current version of Notepad++ (at the time of this writing) is 6.6.3. Version 6.5.2 is the first that introduced a native (without a plugin) sorting function. At least, that's what they claim; even though we're nine releases after version 6.5.2, I have found nothing about this feature:

• There is no sign of it in the menu (or I am blind),
• There isn't even a word in Notepad++ documentation (online help).

Everything I read around the Internet (including this answer) still talks about sorting lines using the TextFX plugin. There isn't anything about a native (QuickSort-based) function.

So: How do I sort lines in Notepad++ without using the TextFX plugin?

Answer 1

The proper menu option is as follows.

For all versions prior to 6.8.3:

Menu Edit → Line Operations → Sort Lines in Ascending / Descending Order

For version 6.8.3 and following:

Menu Edit → Line Operations → Sort Lines Lexicographically Ascending / Descending

Select a few lines to sort just the selection. If there's no selection, your entire file will be sorted.