Flexible list-to-one-line joining
Simple style uses whatever Separator you type, with no special treatment of the last item: `Apples,Oranges,Cherries`. That is the mode you want for URL params, CSV-as-one-line, SQL IN-clauses, and anything where you just need characters between items.
Oxford style formats the list as natural English with the serial comma: `Apples, Oranges, and Cherries` (three or more items) or `Apples and Oranges` (two items). The Separator field is ignored in this mode - the tool uses commas and `and` automatically. Natural style does the same thing but without the Oxford comma: `Apples, Oranges and Cherries`.
Prefix and Suffix wrap the entire joined body, not each item. Use them to bracket the result: prefix `[` and suffix `]` gives you `[Apples, Oranges, Cherries]`; prefix `IN ('` and suffix `')` with simple mode and separator `', '` gives you a SQL IN-clause. Blank lines are dropped before joining, but leading/trailing whitespace on each item is preserved verbatim - run trim first if your items have stray edge spaces.
How to use join list items
- 1Paste your list into the input panel, one item per line
- 2Pick a Style - Simple, Oxford (`a, b, and c`), or Natural (`a, b and c`)
- 3For Simple style, set the Separator (default `, `)
- 4Optionally set Before and After to wrap the joined output
- 5Copy or download the joined line from the output panel
Keyboard shortcuts
Drive ListShift without touching the mouse.
What this tool actually does
Three styles, one separator, two wrappers.
Three join styles
Simple joins every item with your Separator verbatim. Oxford and Natural produce English-grammatical lists with `and` before the last item (Oxford adds the serial comma; Natural does not). Oxford/Natural ignore the Separator field - they always use commas between internal items.
Any character(s) as separator
In Simple style, the Separator is whatever text you type. Use `, `, ` | `, ` - `, ` & `, or even a multi-character string like ` → `. Real special characters (tabs, newlines) need to be typed literally, which is awkward in a text field - for tabs and newlines, use the TSV or columns tools instead.
Prefix and suffix wrap the whole result
Before and After are added to the start and end of the joined body, not to each item. Common uses: bracketing a joined output (`[a, b, c]`), building a SQL IN-clause (`IN ('a', 'b', 'c')`), or wrapping in function-call syntax (`list(a, b, c)`).
Item-count-aware in Oxford/Natural
One item: just the item. Two items: `A and B`, no comma. Three or more: `A, B, and C` (Oxford) or `A, B and C` (Natural). Simple style does not special-case item count - every gap gets the literal separator.
Blank lines dropped, item whitespace preserved
Empty and whitespace-only input lines are dropped before joining. Leading and trailing whitespace on each non-blank item is NOT stripped - if your items have stray edge spaces that would show up in the joined output, run trim first.
Worked example
Simple style with `, ` separator - the most common case.
Apples Oranges Cherries
Apples, Oranges, Cherries
Settings reference
How each option shapes the output using the sample above.
| Setting | What it does | Effect on the sample |
|---|---|---|
| Style: Simple, Separator: `, ` | Joins every item with your separator verbatim | `Apples, Oranges, Cherries` |
| Style: Simple, Separator: ` | ` | Any text works as the separator | `Apples | Oranges | Cherries` |
| Style: Oxford | Natural-English list with serial comma; Separator field is ignored | `Apples, Oranges, and Cherries` |
| Style: Natural | Same as Oxford but without the comma before `and` | `Apples, Oranges and Cherries` |
| Before: `[`, After: `]` | Wraps the whole joined body, not each item | `[Apples, Oranges, Cherries]` |