Line Ending Detector (LF vs CRLF)

The Line Ending Detector is a free online tool that helps developers and system administrators identify and convert between different line ending formats. Line endings, also known as newline characters or end-of-line (EOL) markers, vary across different operating systems and can cause issues when files are shared between platforms.

This tool detects whether your text uses LF (Line Feed, used by Unix, Linux, and macOS) or CRLF (Carriage Return + Line Feed, used by Windows) line endings. It also identifies mixed line endings, which can cause problems in version control systems and text editors.

All line ending detection and conversion happens entirely in your browser - your text data never leaves your device, ensuring complete privacy and security for sensitive code files or configuration data.

Whether you're debugging cross-platform compatibility issues, preparing files for version control, or ensuring consistency in your codebase, this tool provides instant analysis and conversion capabilities.

1. Paste your text: Copy and paste the text you want to analyze into the input area. This can be source code, configuration files, scripts, or any text content.
2. Click "Analyze Line Endings": The tool will instantly scan your text and provide detailed statistics about the line ending formats present in your text.
3. Review the statistics: Check the results to see:
   • Total number of lines in your text
   • Number of LF (Unix/Linux/macOS) line endings
   • Number of CRLF (Windows) line endings
   • Whether line endings are consistent or mixed
   • The dominant format and recommendations
4. Convert if needed: If you need to standardize your line endings:
   • Click "Convert to LF (Unix)" to convert all line endings to Unix/Linux/macOS format
   • Click "Convert to CRLF (Windows)" to convert all line endings to Windows format
5. Copy or download: Use the "Copy Result" button to copy the converted text to your clipboard, or "Download" to save it as a text file.

• Detect line ending formats: Instantly identify LF, CRLF, or mixed line endings in your text
• Detailed statistics: Get comprehensive information about line ending distribution
• Convert between formats: One-click conversion from LF to CRLF or vice versa
• Mixed ending detection: Identify inconsistent line endings that can cause issues
• Recommendations: Get actionable advice based on your line ending analysis
• Copy to clipboard: Quick copying of converted text
• Download as file: Save converted text as a .txt file
• Client-side processing: All operations happen in your browser for complete privacy
• No file size limits: Analyze and convert text files of any size
• Preserves content: Only line endings are modified; all other text remains unchanged

Line endings, also called newline characters or end-of-line (EOL) markers, are special invisible characters that mark the end of a line of text. Different operating systems use different line ending conventions, which has historical roots in typewriter and teletype technology.

Understanding these differences is crucial when working on cross-platform projects or when files are shared between different operating systems.

Inconsistent or incorrect line endings can cause various problems in software development and text processing:

• Version Control Conflicts: Git and other version control systems can show files as changed when only line endings differ. This creates unnecessary merge conflicts and makes it harder to track real changes.
• Script Execution Failures: Shell scripts and batch files with incorrect line endings may fail to execute. Unix shells expect LF line endings, and Windows scripts expect CRLF.
• Text Editor Display Issues: Some text editors may display files incorrectly when line endings don't match the system convention, showing all text on one line or displaying raw control characters.
• Compilation Errors: Some compilers and interpreters are sensitive to line ending format, potentially causing compilation or parsing errors.
• File Size Differences: CRLF uses two bytes per line ending instead of one, slightly increasing file size, which matters for large files or when bandwidth is limited.
• Cross-Platform Development: Teams working across Windows, Mac, and Linux may inadvertently create files with mixed line endings, leading to inconsistent behavior.
• Data Processing: Text parsing scripts may fail or produce incorrect results if they assume specific line endings.
• Code Signing and Hashing: Different line endings produce different file hashes, which can break code signing, checksums, and file verification processes.

• Cross-Platform Development: Ensure consistent line endings across team members using different operating systems (Windows, Mac, Linux)
• Version Control Preparation: Standardize line endings before committing files to Git, SVN, or other version control systems
• Shell Script Fixes: Convert Windows-edited shell scripts (with CRLF) to Unix format (LF) to ensure they execute properly on Linux servers
• Code Review: Verify that line endings are consistent in code files before submitting pull requests
• Legacy System Migration: Convert files when moving between Windows and Unix/Linux systems
• Configuration File Validation: Ensure server configuration files use the correct line endings for the target platform
• Debugging Deployment Issues: Diagnose and fix line ending problems that cause scripts to fail in production
• File Format Standardization: Enforce line ending standards across a project or organization
• Docker Container Preparation: Ensure shell scripts and configuration files use LF endings before building Docker images
• CI/CD Pipeline Fixes: Resolve build failures caused by incorrect line endings in build scripts
• Documentation Consistency: Standardize line endings in markdown files, README files, and other documentation
• Data Import/Export: Prepare CSV or text data files with appropriate line endings for the target system

• Use .gitattributes: Configure Git to automatically handle line endings by creating a .gitattributes file in your repository root:

  # Auto-detect text files and normalize to LF
  * text=auto
  
  # Explicitly declare text files you want normalized
  *.php text
  *.js text
  *.css text
  *.md text
  
  # Declare files that should always use LF
  *.sh text eol=lf
  *.bash text eol=lf
  
  # Declare files that should always use CRLF
  *.bat text eol=crlf
  *.cmd text eol=crlf

• Configure Your Editor: Set your IDE or text editor to use consistent line endings (usually LF for modern development)
• Team Agreement: Establish a team convention for line endings and document it in your project guidelines
• Pre-commit Hooks: Use Git hooks to automatically check and fix line endings before commits
• Prefer LF for Most Cases: Modern development typically uses LF (Unix style) even on Windows, as most tools support it
• Keep Platform-Specific Files Separate: Use CRLF only for files specifically needed on Windows (like .bat files)
• Automate Validation: Include line ending checks in your CI/CD pipeline
• Document Requirements: Clearly specify line ending requirements in your project's README or contribution guidelines

Your privacy and data security are paramount. This line ending detector operates entirely within your web browser:

• No server uploads: Your text and files never leave your device or get sent to any server
• No data storage: We don't store, log, or track any of your text content
• Works offline: After the initial page load, the tool works completely offline
• Safe for sensitive data: Analyze proprietary code, configuration files, or sensitive scripts with confidence
• No external dependencies: All processing is done with native browser JavaScript
• Open inspection: The tool's JavaScript code is visible in your browser's developer tools