Combining separate cells/columns in Excel 2004

[tuqqer]

I know Word very well, but I'm really new to Excel (Office 2004
version).

I'm trying to figure out the best way to take lists of information, all
formatted the same each time, and place them into a sort-able table.

Here's an example of the list that I work with:


451 car paint job prices

341 paint your car online

330 cheap car paint jobs

329 custom car paint colors

328 car spray paint

320 car paint color

316 car paint design

314 race car paint scheme

267 car paint jobs cost

264 paint your own car

261 flame car paint


Here's what I'm trying to do:

1. remove any spaces in the front of each paragraph
2. place each resulting line into an Excel document so that each row
has two columns:
a. the number
b. any/all the words (all in one cell)

So far, the only way I can remove any spaces in front of each line is
to first drop it into Word and do a Find and Replace.

But it's the next step that has me stumped: when I paste the list into
Excel, each number goes into column A (which is good), but each word
goes into column B-F.

What I need to to make the multiple words of each row go only into one
field, into column B.

In other words, I need to take each row's words, and merge them into
one column, so that there is only two columns total: column A for the
number, and column B for the words.

Example:

COLUMN A COLUMN B
84573 Car spray paint scheme colors

Is there a way to do this?

thanks!

 

[JE McGimpsey]

In other words, I need to take each row's words, and merge them into
one column, so that there is only two columns total: column A for the
number, and column B for the words.

Take a look here:

http://www.mcgimpsey.com/excel/mergedata.html

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Here's what I'm trying to do:

1. remove any spaces in the front of each paragraph

You can use the TRIM() function:

=TRIM(A1)

or you can use a macro like this:

http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/join.htm#trimall

 

[J Laroche]

tuqqer wrote on 2005/02/06 15:45:

I know Word very well, but I'm really new to Excel (Office 2004
version).

I'm trying to figure out the best way to take lists of information, all
formatted the same each time, and place them into a sort-able table.

Here's an example of the list that I work with:


451 car paint job prices

341 paint your car online

330 cheap car paint jobs

329 custom car paint colors

328 car spray paint

320 car paint color

316 car paint design

314 race car paint scheme

267 car paint jobs cost

264 paint your own car

261 flame car paint


Here's what I'm trying to do:

1. remove any spaces in the front of each paragraph
2. place each resulting line into an Excel document so that each row
has two columns:
a. the number
b. any/all the words (all in one cell)

So far, the only way I can remove any spaces in front of each line is
to first drop it into Word and do a Find and Replace.

But it's the next step that has me stumped: when I paste the list into
Excel, each number goes into column A (which is good), but each word
goes into column B-F.

What I need to to make the multiple words of each row go only into one
field, into column B.

In other words, I need to take each row's words, and merge them into
one column, so that there is only two columns total: column A for the
number, and column B for the words.

Example:

COLUMN A COLUMN B
84573 Car spray paint scheme colors

Is there a way to do this?

thanks!

Save the list in a pure text file, not an rtf (rich text format) file. Then
in Excel, do Data -> Get External Data -> Import Text File. Select the file,
the choose the radio button Fixed width. Click Next twice, then Finish.

JL
Mac OS X 10.3.7, Office v.X 10.1.6

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi tugger-

Here's another thought on the subject.

1) Go ahead and paste the content into a single column, then select
that column.

2) Go to Data>Text to Columns & specify Fixed Width, then click Next.

3) Follow the instructions to remove all line breaks EXCEPT for the one
that separates your numbers from the descriptive text. Adjust the
position of that one as necessary by dragging.

4) You'll still have the leading spaces in both columns & the numbers
will be treated as text, but in this case that should not be a problem
since they appear to be item numbers as opposed to values. Use the
Trim() fx suggested by JE to remove the leading spaces.

Hope this is useful |:>)

 

[Kristi7121]

hELLO yOU SOUND LIKE YOUR IN THE PAINT INDUSTRY OR THE AUTO REPAIR BUSINESS.
aRE yOU? i AM IN A BODY SHOP AND i NEED HELP?thANKS kRISTI