# Sorting Paragraphs alphabetically (Sorting simple text) **URL:** \ **Category:** Scrivener for macOS\ **Tags:** support\ **Created:** [May 3, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/sorting-paragraphs-alphabetically-sorting-simple-text/12653 "2011-05-03T14:34:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Companion\_Cube](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@Companion\_Cube](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/Companion_Cube)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/sorting-paragraphs-alphabetically-sorting-simple-text/12653/1 "2011-05-03T14:34:30Z")
Hi all, when I sorted my bibliography in Scrivener the last time, I exported all those paragraphs into Word sorted it there and reimported them into my Scrivener project afterwards. Is there a more elegant way, to do that? Up till now, I only found some sorting functions regarding the Binder and Chapters. A simple sorting of text paragraphs - Do you know a trick to get that done in no time? Best regards, The Companion Cube ---
**Author:** ![KB](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@KB](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/KB)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/sorting-paragraphs-alphabetically-sorting-simple-text/12653/2 "2011-05-03T16:25:11Z")
There’s no way to do that currently, but that would be useful for sorting bibliographies, that’s a good point. And seeing as I have a thing for edgeless safety cubes and general cube-based testing, I’ve added a “Sort Paragraphs” feature for the next update. All the best, Keith ---
**Author:** ![Rdale](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/user_avatar/forum.literatureandlatte.com/rdale/32/15925_2.png) [@Rdale](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/Rdale)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/sorting-paragraphs-alphabetically-sorting-simple-text/12653/3 "2011-05-03T16:45:54Z")
You could place each bibliography entry in it’s own document, set each of the documents so there is no page break or separator between them (you could create a Bibliography document template to make this easier), and then use the binder sort feature… I think. But since Keith is going to add the sort feature anyway, there may be no advantage to doing things this way. ---
**Author:** ![Companion\_Cube](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@Companion\_Cube](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/Companion_Cube)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/sorting-paragraphs-alphabetically-sorting-simple-text/12653/4 "2011-07-27T12:40:39Z")
Hi Keith, thank you very much for delivering as promised! Beside the ‘export file to PDF format with footnotes as footnotes (not endnotes)’ functionality, this one was the one I desired most! Great work and I’m very happy I could contribute with an idea to the growth of Scrivener’s usefulness! 😃 Keep on the good work, best wishes, The Companion Cube ---
**Author:** ![KB](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@KB](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/KB)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 1:01pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/sorting-paragraphs-alphabetically-sorting-simple-text/12653/5 "2011-07-27T13:01:11Z")
Glad you like it! Now get back to doing science before GladOS notices you’ve gone… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![prkinnaman](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@prkinnaman](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/prkinnaman)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/sorting-paragraphs-alphabetically-sorting-simple-text/12653/6 "2011-08-29T20:08:39Z")
I’m using Scrivener 2.1. I’ve found the ‘sort paragraphs’ feature under the Edit menu, but the options of ascending and descending are greyed-out and I can’t find a way to make the options active. What am I missing? ScotK ---
**Author:** ![AmberV](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/user_avatar/forum.literatureandlatte.com/amberv/32/13021_2.png) [@AmberV](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/AmberV)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/sorting-paragraphs-alphabetically-sorting-simple-text/12653/7 "2011-08-29T20:10:33Z")
Do you have more than one paragraph selected? This feature won’t do anything if only one paragraph is selected (and just having the cursor in a paragraph is considered a selection of 1 paragraph, for this type of thing). ---
**Author:** ![prkinnaman](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@prkinnaman](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/prkinnaman)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/sorting-paragraphs-alphabetically-sorting-simple-text/12653/8 "2011-08-29T20:32:21Z")
With your response I’ve tried selecting all the paragraphs in a folder, and I’ve tried selecting the folder the paragraphs are located in. Still grey. ---
**Author:** ![AmberV](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/user_avatar/forum.literatureandlatte.com/amberv/32/13021_2.png) [@AmberV](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/AmberV)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/sorting-paragraphs-alphabetically-sorting-simple-text/12653/9 "2011-08-29T20:52:21Z")
We might be using different words for what we mean, then. By paragraphs, I mean literally the lines inside an individual text file. It sounds like you are selecting whole files in the Binder. Are you wanting to sort by the names of those files? If so, the `Documents/Sort/` sub-menu is what you want. ---
**Author:** ![prkinnaman](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@prkinnaman](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/prkinnaman)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/sorting-paragraphs-alphabetically-sorting-simple-text/12653/10 "2011-08-29T20:59:51Z")
Tada! Good questions/directions get to the bottom of it. Thanks. ScotK ---
**Author:** ![AmberV](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/user_avatar/forum.literatureandlatte.com/amberv/32/13021_2.png) [@AmberV](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/u/AmberV)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/sorting-paragraphs-alphabetically-sorting-simple-text/12653/11 "2011-08-29T23:05:37Z")
You’re welcome.