Sorting and Reordering

Sorting in VisiData is instant — even on million-row datasets — because it operates on the in-memory sheet view. You can also manually reorder rows by moving them, randomize the order, or reverse it entirely.

Learning Focus

Use [ / ] for quick single-column sort. Set key columns with ! then press g[ for multi-column sort. Use J / K to manually move rows into position.

Sample Data

hostname    role        status    region  score
web01       webserver   active    sg      90
web02       webserver   standby   sg      70
db01        database    active    kl      85
cache01     cache       active    sg      60
monitor01   monitoring  standby   jk      50

Sort Ascending by One Column

Move cursor to the score column, press [:

hostname    role        status    region  score
monitor01   monitoring  standby   jk      50   ← lowest
cache01     cache       active    sg      60
web02       webserver   standby   sg      70
db01        database    active    kl      85
web01       webserver   active    sg      90   ← highest

# Move cursor to 'score' column
[               # sort ascending (lowest first)
]               # sort descending (highest first)

warning

Without casting a numeric column to # (int) or % (float), sort is lexicographic — 100 sorts before 9 because 1 < 9. Always type-cast numeric columns before sorting.

See Column Types and Casting for details.

Multi-Column Sort with Key Columns

Key columns define a multi-level sort hierarchy. Mark multiple columns with !, then sort all of them at once with g[.

Step 1: Mark region as key column 1:

# Move to 'region', press !
# 'region' header turns blue

Step 2: Mark score as key column 2:

# Move to 'score', press !
# 'score' header turns blue

Step 3: Sort by all key columns:

g[              # sort ascending: first by region, then by score within region

Result — grouped by region, then sorted by score within each region:

hostname    role        status    region  score
monitor01   monitoring  standby   jk      50   ← jk region
db01        database    active    kl      85   ← kl region
cache01     cache       active    sg      60   ← sg region (lowest score)
web02       webserver   standby   sg      70   ← sg region
web01       webserver   active    sg      90   ← sg region (highest score)

Key Column Commands

!               toggle current column as key column (blue highlight)
z!              unset key on current column

g[              sort ascending by ALL key columns
g]              sort descending by ALL key columns

For key columns in joins and pivot tables, see:

• Combining Datasets
• Pivot Tables

Additive Sort

Add additional sort criteria without replacing the existing sort order.

z[              sort ascending by current column (keep existing sort)
z]              sort descending by current column (keep existing sort)
gz[             sort ascending by all key columns (keep existing sort)
gz]             sort descending by all key columns (keep existing sort)

Example: Sort by region first, then add score within each region:

# First sort by region
# Move to 'region' → press [
[               # primary sort: region

# Then add score sort within each region
# Move to 'score' → press z[
z[              # secondary sort: score (additive)

Move Rows Manually

Manually reposition rows in the sheet.

J               slide current row one position down
K               slide current row one position up
gJ              slide current row to bottom of sheet
gK              slide current row to top of sheet

Example: promote a row to the top:

# Move cursor to the row you want at the top
gK              # sends it to the top

# Or move it down 3 positions
J J J

Randomize and Reverse

zR              randomize the order of all (or selected) rows
gzR             reverse the current row order

Sort Order Reference

Keys	Effect
[	Sort ascending by current column (replaces existing sort)
]	Sort descending by current column
g[	Sort ascending by all key columns
g]	Sort descending by all key columns
z[	Sort ascending by current column (add to existing)
z]	Sort descending by current column (add to existing)
gz[	Sort ascending by all key columns (add to existing)
gz]	Sort descending by all key columns (add to existing)

Moving Reference

Keys	Effect
J	Move row down one position
K	Move row up one position
gJ	Move row to bottom
gK	Move row to top
zR	Randomize row order
gzR	Reverse row order

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Fix
Numbers sort wrong (1, 10, 2, 20)	Column is string type	Cast to # or % first
Sort ignores key columns	Used [ instead of g[	Use g[ for multi-column sort
Sort resets after reload	Sheet reloaded from source	Re-apply sort after Ctrl+R

What's Next

• Filtering — open filtered sheets from selections
• Adding and Deleting Rows — add, delete, undo