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I have a large text file that contains thousands of paragraphs that need to be manually sorted into different files.

Just about every notepad program will let me cut and paste paragraphs into different files, but the large scale of this task makes all that cutting and pasting very tedious.

I would appreciate recommendations for text editors that allows multiple tabs, and permits text to be dragged from one tab to another.

I tried Notepad++, but it does not seem to support dragging text between tabs.

Recommended software must be Windows compatible and gratis. Portable (no installer) software is preferred, but not required.

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SynWrite is editor which fits. It is open source, free, it supports many tabs and split to 2-3-4-6 groups of tabs. You can drag text block from one tab to other tab.

It is replacement for Notepad++ too, or Sublime Text.

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    Thanks! If you can drag text from one tab to another, that will be great. Can you have it not switch focus to the destination tab?
    – RockPaperLz- Mask it or Casket ♦
    Feb 25, 2016 at 7:05
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    Seems no, focus always passed out to dropped tab.
    – RProgram
    Feb 25, 2016 at 10:27
  • Thanks for checking. If you find an option or trick to keep the focus on the "from" tab, please add it to your answer. :-)
    – RockPaperLz- Mask it or Casket ♦
    Feb 25, 2016 at 12:23
  • That editor is deprecated, the successor is CudaText (also from uvviewsoft.com)
    – Josem
    Apr 26, 2020 at 17:09
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CudaText editor fits too. It is free, open source, runs on Windows.

It can drag-drop block of selected text to another "group", if you activate "2 groups", "3 groups". It can stay (by option) the focus on the source tab (after drag done).

Cudatext

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    @RockPaperLizard Cudatext beta, can now focus or not focus destination tab. Option in user.json exists.
    – RProgram
    Mar 26, 2016 at 21:50
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You can use Sublime Text Editor 3 which has also a portable version.

  • Drag the second tab outside the editor so it creates a new window itself
  • Arrange the first (window) tab left and the second (window) tab to the right, like vertical split
  • Drag any selected text between tabs
  • Make sure that you hold Ctrl key if you want to copy the text and not move it.

I hope it covers you

enter image description here

Note that it is completely free with all of its features, once or twice per day may show you to purchase it but it is more like a donation calling than really purchasing it. You just click cancel. It is supposed that you install it for evaluation but the evaluation time has no ending. It lasts forever, read this on their support forum, which I verify it from experience.

I have it for years this way. Ignore the "Buy" section on its official website. (One editor tried to correct me that it is not free).

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  • Thank you, Vasilis. I will give it a try. It is not ideal, because, based on your description, I have to drag and drop into a window, and not a tab. Trying to manage 8 windows at one time will be a challenge. Still, it's much better than anything I have tried, so I thank you. BTW, is Sublime 3 stable? It looks like it has been in beta for over 3 years!
    – RockPaperLz- Mask it or Casket ♦
    Feb 24, 2016 at 9:54
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    Yes it is stable enough, I use it professionally for coding for many years without problems on its stability. You can also download Sublime 2 from the same page that works the same for what I described.
    – Vasikos
    Feb 24, 2016 at 10:00
  • Thanks Vasilis. Just to be clear, you use Sublime 3 professionally for coding, correct?
    – RockPaperLz- Mask it or Casket ♦
    Feb 24, 2016 at 10:11
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    @RockPaperLizard Yes, it suits my needs and I love its features and interface. It has plenty of free plugins as well and makes it easy to install them or create your own.
    – Vasikos
    Feb 24, 2016 at 10:13
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    "Sublime Text may be downloaded and evaluated for free, however a license must be purchased for continued use." sublimetext.com/buy
    – Nicolas Raoul ♦
    Feb 25, 2016 at 10:38

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