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It's amazing how many of online applications exist for performing small but significant tasks that when done manually, would require ten times more time. I keep a folder of bookmarks of such applications, including, Google Translate, Timer Stopwatch, Tinychat and the online phone service, Babble.ly.

A recent set of gems I discovered is Text Mechanic, a collection of browser-based text manipulation tools"”including a case converter, empty line remover, word scrambler, item picker, permutation generator, and text encryption converter.

Text Mechanic includes 25 Javascript-based text manipulation tools that are both basic and advance. Where the website lacks graphic appeal, it makes up for the number of things you can get done in it. Let's a look at a few examples.

Random Line Picker

I recently needed an objective way to randomly choose five winners based on collection email addresses submitted to me. Searching for this solution is how I found out about Text Mechanic.

To use the Random Line Picker, you simply click the "C" button to clear out all the instructions. You do this for all the tools. Next, type or copy and paste the items you want to randomly pick in the top inbox. Each item must make up a single line.

Click the Pick Random Line button to start making random selections. As the site page points out, "This tool is built-with and functions-in Client Side JavaScripting, so only your computer will see or process your data input/output."

You can also shuffle the input.

Random Number Generator

Random Number Generator is pretty straight forward. Simply select the range of numbers you need, optionally add prefix and/or suffix, and click the Generate Random Numbers button. Presto, you get a set of random number. This tool might useful for when you're doing some sort of group facilitation, and you want to objectively and randomly select people based a number they receive.

Other similar tools include a Randomize List, Word Scrambler, and Random String Generator.

Word, Sentence, Line and Character Counter

If you ever need a way to keep track of the number words, lines, characters, or sentences you're typing, this tool can help you with that.

In fact, you can use this tool as a text editor. If you copy and paste text into the text box, unfortunately it won't format in the way you copied it; however it will still give you the count information.

Sort Text Tool

Think about the times you brainstormed a list of words, ideas, or names and you needed to alphabetize that list. What a pain it would be to manually do this job.

This sort text tool will alphabetically and numerically sort text. It will also reverse the list order, remove duplicate items, or order the list based on the length of letters on each line.

Caesar Cipher

Want to encode some text and later retrieve it? Then you might want to try this Caesar Cipher Translator/Converter.

Simply copy and paste the text you want to encode and click the Encode button. Your text will get the ROT 13 conversion.

When you or someone else wants to decode the text, paste it in the box and click the decode button.

As you can see, Text Mechanic performs the type of text manipulations that you might use Microsoft Excel or other more advance (and expensive!) text manipulation tools might perform. While these tools lack an undo and redo button, and you can"˜t save the results of your conversion in the application itself, they are still powerfully useful. Bookmark your favorite tools and you'll always have them handy when needed.

Let us know of similar online text manipulation tools that you use.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com