XL: How to Parse Data Using the Text To Columns Command (142149)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95 7.0a
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 5.0c
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh 5.0a
  • Microsoft Excel for the Power Macintosh 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for the Power Macintosh 5.0a
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows NT 5.0
This article was previously published under Q142149

SUMMARY

This article contains information about how to parse data in Microsoft Excel by using the Text To Columns command.

MORE INFORMATION

If you copy data from another program and paste it into Microsoft Excel, Excel may condense several columns of data to a single column. You can use the Text To Columns command on the Data menu to put each record in a separate column. The range that you convert may contain many rows, but you can only convert one column of data at a time.

To create an example that demonstrates how to use the Text To Columns command:
  1. Create a new workbook.
  2. In Sheet1, enter the following data:
          A1: The,dog,ran
      A2: 156,156,451
      A3: abc,def
      A4: abcdefg,hijkl
      A5: 2554,4874,41
  3. Select the range A1:A5.
  4. On the Data menu, click Text To Columns.
  5. In Step 1 of the Convert Text To Columns Wizard, make sure that Delimited is selected, and then click Next.
  6. In Step 2 of the Convert Text To Columns Wizard, click to select the Comma check box under Delimiters, and then click Next.

    NOTE: All of the check boxes under Delimiters should be clear except for the Comma check box.
  7. In Step 3 of the Convert Text To Columns Wizard, type B1 in the Destination box, and then click Finish.
Your data is parsed into separate columns, beginning with column B, and the data in Sheet1 should resemble the following: 
   A1: The,dog,ran     B1: The     C1: dog   D1: ran
   A2: 156,156,451     B2: 156     C2: 156   D2: 451
   A3: abc,def         B3: abc     C3: def
   A4: abcdefg,hijkl   B4: abcdefg C4: hijk
   A5: 2554,4874,41    B5: 2554    C5: 4874  D5: 41

REFERENCES

Microsoft Excel 7.0

For more information about parsing data in Microsoft Excel, click Answer Wizard on the Help menu and type:

tell me how to parse data

Microsoft Excel 5.0

For more information about Parsing Data in Microsoft Excel, click the Search button in Help and type:

parsing

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:8/17/2005
Keywords:kbhowto kbinfo KB142149
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