Shift List Items
Shift items left/right or up/down. Runs entirely in your browser, so your data never leaves your device.
0 chars · 0 lines
Output
The result appears here as you type.
How to use Shift List Items
- 1. Paste your list. Enter your items into the input pane, one per line. Any ordered list you need moved by a fixed offset, without wrapping around, works here.
- 2. Set the number of positions. Enter how many places to shift the list by in Positions to shift. Items shifted past the edge of the list are dropped rather than wrapped to the other side.
- 3. Choose a direction. Pick Up to move items toward the start of the list, or Down to move items toward the end, depending on which way the offset should go.
- 4. Copy the shifted list. The output pane shows the list moved by your chosen number of positions in the chosen direction. Copy the shifted result wherever it is needed.
When to use Shift List Items
Shift List Items moves every item in a list by a fixed offset in one direction, dropping items that fall off the edge rather than wrapping them around. It differs from a rotation, which keeps every item by cycling it to the other end.
- Discarding the earliest entries by shifting up. A log of readings needs its oldest entries dropped entirely, and shifting the list up by that many positions removes them without moving them to the end.
- Modeling a moving average window. You are calculating a rolling average and need to see the list shifted by one position to line up each value with its neighbor, without wrapping the edge value around.
- Testing offset alignment between two lists. Two related lists need to be compared with one shifted relative to the other, and shifting by a set number of positions produces the offset version to test against.
- Simulating data loss at the edge of a buffer. You are testing how a system handles items falling off a fixed-size buffer, and shifting the list down by a chosen amount discards items the way that buffer would.
Examples
Shift up by one
Input
a b c
Output
b c
Shift down by one
Input
a b c
Output
a b
About the Shift List Items tool
Shift List Items runs as plain JavaScript in your browser tab, with no server behind it. Shift items left/right or up/down. Whatever you put in stays on your device from start to finish.
The tool is part of EditSafely's List Tools section, 114 single-purpose utilities built around the same idea: open the page, get the result, keep your data to yourself.
You can shape the output with 2 settings, including Positions to shift and Direction, and the result refreshes the moment you change one. 2 worked examples further down the page show exactly what the tool produces for real inputs.
That local-first design has practical benefits beyond privacy. The tool keeps working on a flaky connection once the page has loaded, results are instant because nothing round-trips to a server, and it is safe to use with confidential material.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shift List Items free to use?
Yes, it is completely free. All 2,658 tools on EditSafely work without an account, a subscription or usage limits.
Is it safe to paste sensitive or confidential data?
Everything happens locally. Your browser downloads the tool's code once, then does all the processing itself; nothing you enter is transmitted, stored or logged. You can even go offline after the page loads and it will still work.
How much text can I process at once?
There is no fixed limit. Because the work happens on your own device rather than on a shared server, the practical ceiling is your machine's memory, which comfortably handles inputs far larger than typical online tools allow.
Do I need to sign up or install anything?
No. The tool works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone. There is no account to create, no extension to add and no software to install.
How do I use the result?
The output panel has a one-click copy button, and you can keep refining the input while you work; the result updates in place as you type.