edit text string in column B

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

How to edit column B in spreadsheet so that the 1st 14 characters in the
string is cut/pasted to column Y, and the last 14 characters in the string is
cut/pasted to column Z? Need to apply such an edit to all cells in column B.

Spreadsheet is A1:Pxxxx (approx 3000 rows). All cells in column B contain a
character string that represents 'model number - description label - part
number'. String varies in length due to description label differences,
however model number and part number are always 14 characters each. Cell
format is general.

MS Office Excel 2003, SP1
MS Windows XP Professional 5.1, SP 2, build 2600

Thanks for your help,
R
 
Ok, use the formulas just like I suggested, then add the following steps:

Copy columns Y and Z
While still selecting Y and Z, "Paste Special"
Select "Values" from the dialog box
Click OK

Y and Z now no longer contain formulas and you can delete column B if needed.

HTH,
Elkar
 
No, that won't do it either.

Problem is that there are 3 segments to the char string in column B (model
number - description label - part number), as decribed below. My goal is to
separate the 3 segments into 3 columns. Prefer to leave the description
label segment in column B, and "move" model number and part number segments
to Y and Z respectively.

Sorry if I was not clear earlier in the discussion.

Thanks,
R
 
No problem, this can be done. Keep the previous steps to get data into
columns Y and Z.

Now, to get B to display just the description. Insert a helper column next
to column B. In this new column, enter the formula:

=MID(B1,15,LEN(B1)-28)

You many need to adjust the numbers slightly if your data contains dashes or
spaces that you want to remove.

Now, copy your helper column onto Column B using "Paste Special" and
"Values". Then delete the helper column.

Now, hopefully, you should be where you want to be.

Elkar
 
Use Data->Text to columns. You can use fixed width to seperate the first 14
chars. This will seperate the column into two columns. Do it again on the
second column selecting delimited and select the charector that seperates the
description from the part number. Then you should have three columns that
you can cut and paste where you want them.
 
Thanks, this works great!
R

Elkar said:
No problem, this can be done. Keep the previous steps to get data into
columns Y and Z.

Now, to get B to display just the description. Insert a helper column next
to column B. In this new column, enter the formula:

=MID(B1,15,LEN(B1)-28)

You many need to adjust the numbers slightly if your data contains dashes or
spaces that you want to remove.

Now, copy your helper column onto Column B using "Paste Special" and
"Values". Then delete the helper column.

Now, hopefully, you should be where you want to be.

Elkar
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