How to merge 2 columns into one?

[Three Lefts]

Is there a way to merge 2 columns of a table into one with the text in
each concatenated.

Here is a sample of the table as it is now:

Date Time Start End ID Comments
04/01/08 06:15 10 35 (W) First run of day
04/01/08 10:22 12 48 (10) Just before a break
04/02/08 17:02 9 31 (W) Two hours late

This is how I'd like the new table to look:

Date Time Start End Comments
04/01/08 06:15 10 35 (W) First run of day
04/01/08 10:22 12 48 (10) Just before a break
04/02/08 17:02 9 31 (W) Two hours late

or:

Date Time Start End Comments
04/01/08 06:15 10 35 First run of day (W)
04/01/08 10:22 12 48 Just before a break (10)
04/02/08 17:02 9 31 Two hours late (W)

 

[Beth Melton]

What you want to do can be accomplished in Word but it would be faster to
use Excel for this (that's what I'd do, anyway):

- Copy/paste the Word table to Excel
- Add a formula to the right of the table to concatenate what you want to
see such as: =E2 & " " & F2
- Select the cell containing the formula, place your mouse pointer on the
lower right corner of the cell pointer (the mouse pointer will look like a
plus sign) and double-click to fill the formula down the table
- Select the column containing the formula and copy it
- Use Paste Special and paste the data as Values (Edit/Paste Special or
click the arrow below Paste on the Ribbon)
- Delete the columns you no longer want
- Copy/paste the table back to Word

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

 

[Three Lefts]

What you want to do can be accomplished in Word but it would be faster to
use Excel for this (that's what I'd do, anyway):

- Copy/paste the Word table to Excel
- Add a formula to the right of the table to concatenate what you want to
see such as: =E2 & " " & F2
- Select the cell containing the formula, place your mouse pointer on the
lower right corner of the cell pointer (the mouse pointer will look like a
plus sign) and double-click to fill the formula down the table
- Select the column containing the formula and copy it
- Use Paste Special and paste the data as Values (Edit/Paste Special or
click the arrow below Paste on the Ribbon)
- Delete the columns you no longer want
- Copy/paste the table back to Word

Cool suggestion. I've been wanting to hone my Excel skills anyway.

Just out of curiosity, what sort of contortions would I have to go
through to do it in Word?

 

[Beth Melton]

For what you want it would be a matter of placing the columns in the order
you want the data to appear and then merging the cells you want to
concatenate. How fast you can do it in Word, as opposed to doing it in
Excel, depends on the number of rows you have in the table. In Word you'd
need to select each set of cells and merge them. It's not hard but could
involve a lot of repetitive work: Select, merge cells, select, press F4 to
repeat your last action (merge cells), select, press F4, you get the idea.
;-) Then once you're finished merging the cells you'd need to Find/Replace
all Paragraph marks in the merged column as well since a paragraph will be
placed between the data that was merged. If you have paragraph marks you
want to keep then it becomes a little more involved.

I suspect you're working with a large amount of data based on your example
so the Excel route would be the fastest -- it doesn't matter how much data
you are working with the entire process would take under five minutes. (Plus
I suspect if if were a small amount of data you wouldn't be asking. <g>)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

 

[Three Lefts]

For what you want it would be a matter of placing the columns in the order
you want the data to appear and then merging the cells you want to
concatenate.

That's what I tried first, but it appears that I have to do one row at
a time.

I tried selecting the 2 columns in 5-6 rows, then clicking on merge
cells. What I got was one huge cell with all 10-12 cells in one.

Seems like Microsoft could have easily implemented an option to allow
me to select how the merge would be done. (sigh)

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Unfortunately, recent versions of Word are quite dense about merging
columns. One way you can do it without merging rows as well is using the
Eraser tool on the Tables and Borders toolbar. It takes a little practice
(and liberal use of Undo) to get it just right, but when you "erase" the
column boundary, the cells will be merged and the rows preserved.

 

[Beth Melton]

That's what I tried first, but it appears that I have to do one row at
a time.

Exactly. That's why the Excel solution I provided is much faster.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

 

[Beth Melton]

I didn't think about that method. You'd still need to find/replace the
paragraph marks and if the cells had paragraph marks it could be more
involved, but if someone needs to retain the table formatting this would be
a better solution than using Excel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx