Add Prefix to Lines
| The recipe | Prefix | Suffix | Looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| markdown list | - (dash space) | none | - apples |
| CSV field | " | ", | "apples", |
| email reply | > (gt space) | none | > apples |
| statement rows | none | ; (semicolon) | apples; |
Paste a list, type what goes before and after each line, and every line gets dressed at once - bullets to the left, punctuation to the right, quotes wrapped around the lot. The output updates as you type, counts its lines, and copies in one click. It is the chore every editor does with forty careful tab-and-paste cycles, done in one keystroke.
The classic recipes are one chip away: dashes or asterisks for markdown lists, quote-and-comma to wrap each line into a CSV field, arrows for email replies. The same box handles suffixes alone (a semicolon after every line), prefixes alone (line numbers are one paste away from a spreadsheet), or both at once.
How to use
- Paste your lines into the big box, type the prefix and the suffix, and read the dressed output below - both fields can combine or stand alone.
- Use a chip for the standard recipes: markdown dash, markdown asterisk, CSV quote-wrap, or the email reply arrow.
- Copy the output block when it looks right; the line counter above it should match the list you pasted, which is the quick sanity check that no blank line ate a row.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a bullet to every line?
Paste the list, type '- ' (dash and a space) in the prefix box, and every line comes back as a markdown bullet. The asterisk chip does the same for the other markdown flavor. Blank lines pass through unchanged in the count, so a list with separators stays visually honest - if you want blanks stripped first, the line-cleanup tools next door do that in one pass.
How do I turn a column of text into CSV-safe fields?
The CSV chip wraps every line in double quotes - prefix quote, suffix quote-and-comma - which is exactly the RFC 4180 recipe for making a text field survive commas, quotes and line breaks inside it. Paste the wrapped column straight into any spreadsheet or data import; the trailing comma either ends the row or takes the next column, depending on your template.
Can I number the lines with this?
For a fixed-width prefix, yes - type 1. , 2. and so on is not automatic here, but the prefix box takes any repeated text and spreadsheets auto-fill numbered columns faster. Where this tool wins is the same prefix for every line: indentation spaces, comment markers (# or //), and quote characters that every line needs identically.
Does it work with tabs and spaces?
Yes - the prefix and suffix boxes take any characters including tabs, and indentation is the most common prefix of all: four spaces for a markdown code block, a tab for a shell here-doc, quote markers for email nesting. Paste-aware fields keep what you type byte for byte, so what lands in the output is exactly what you asked for.
What is the fastest way to quote each line for a forum or email?
Type the '>' character in the prefix box - the Usenet and email reply marker - and every line is quoted in the format those clients still honor. Nesting is prefix iteration: quote the output again with another '>' and you have the double-quoted reply that twenty years of mailing lists are made of.