Line Counter – Count Lines of Text, Code & Data Online

Count lines in any text instantly. Our free line counter handles code files, CSVs, log files, and plain text—showing total, blank, and non-blank line counts with one click.

What Is a Line Counter?

A line counter tallies the number of lines in text content. While seemingly simple, accurate line counting is essential for developers (code metrics), writers (format requirements), and data analysts (row validation).

What We Count

How to Use This Tool

Step 1: Paste Your Text

Copy-paste any text—code, CSV data, plain text, or log files.

Step 2: View Line Count

See instant breakdown of total, blank, and non-blank lines.

Step 3: Copy Results

Copy the count or use for your documentation.

Common Use Cases

Software Development

• Code metrics — Measure codebase size
• Pull request reviews — Check changes scope
• Documentation — Track file sizes
• Log analysis — Count log entries

Data Analysis

• CSV validation — Verify row counts match expectations
• Import verification — Confirm data transfer completeness
• Report generation — Document dataset sizes
• ETL validation — Check pipeline outputs

Writing & Publishing

• Manuscript formatting — Meet line requirements
• Poetry formatting — Count stanzas and lines
• Script formatting — Track dialogue lines
• Subtitle files — Count caption entries

System Administration

• Log file analysis — Count events/errors
• Configuration audits — Measure config file sizes
• Backup verification — Compare file line counts
• Performance tracking — Count transactions

Line Counting in Programming

What Counts as a Line?

Understanding SLOC

SLOC (Source Lines of Code) is a software metric:

• Physical SLOC: All lines including blanks and comments
• Logical SLOC: Only statements (excludes blanks/comments)

Our tool provides both analyses.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are lines defined?

Lines are separated by line break characters: \n (Unix/Mac), \r\n (Windows), or \r (old Mac). We handle all formats.

Does the last line need a newline?

Best practice is to end files with a newline. We count final lines whether or not they end with a newline.

Are tabs counted as content?

Tabs count as content, making that line "non-blank." Whitespace-only lines (spaces or tabs) can be configured either way.

Can I count lines in multiple files?

This tool counts one text input at a time. For batch analysis, use command-line tools like wc -l.

What's the limit on text size?

Handles tens of thousands of lines easily. Very large files (100K+ lines) may slow browser performance.

Can it count specific patterns?

For pattern counting, use our Find & Replace tool with count feature.

Command Line Alternatives

Use our tool when command-line isn't available or for quick browser-based counting.

Line Count Best Practices

For Code

1. Track line counts over time to monitor growth
2. Compare before/after for refactoring
3. Exempt auto-generated files from metrics
4. Consider lines-per-file limits (e.g., 500 lines max)

For Data

1. Always verify row counts after import
2. Document expected counts in data dictionaries
3. Set up automated count validation
4. Watch for header row inclusion/exclusion

Pro Tips

1. Remove trailing newlines — Extra blank lines at end can inflate counts
2. Normalize line endings — Mixed \n and \r\n can cause confusion
3. Consider context — 1000 lines of JSON ≠ 1000 lines of Python
4. Use for estimates — Lines of code roughly correlates with complexity
5. Track trends — Line count changes indicate project evolution

Related Tools

Explore more text analysis utilities:

• Character Counter — Count chars and words
• Word Counter — Count words
• Find & Replace — Search and replace
• Text Compare — Diff text
• Regex Tester — Pattern matching

Paste your text above to count lines instantly. Works for code, data, documents, and any text content.