Excel 2002: How to add content to a cell ?

[Guest]

Dear Sir,

I need to add content to a cell that already has some data on it by
copying and pasting from another cell .

For example at cell B2, I have “ Product Code: “

When I tried to copy XP-264587P4478Q from another cell and past it to B2
after typing F2 but it does not work. I tried F2 and CTRL V it does not
work either.

May I know the keyboard short cut to get the answer “Product Code :
XP-264587P4478Q†at cell B ?


Thanks

Low

 

[Guest]

Copy and paste overwrites (as you've discovered). To copy from another cell
and add to existing text elsewhere:
Most certain way:
Choose the cell with what you want to copy/add elsewhere. Highlight and
copy the contents in the from the formula bar if it's text (assuming it is).
Hit [Esc].
Go to the cell where you want to add it and then use the display in the
formula bar or to get to the end of the existing entry and paste there.

Another way: Lets say in cell A1 you have:

This Is Text In Cell A1.

and in B99 you have
This is text in cell B99!

and you want A1 to say
This Is Text in Cell A1. This is text in cell B99!

you can change A1 to be a formula like this:
="This Is Text in Cell A1." & " " & B99
alternatively the same thing can be accomplished using
=CONCATENATE("This Is Text in Cell A1.", " ", B99)

 

[Guest]

The reason that you cannot paste into the cell is because when you press F2
or try to enter another cell, Excel "forgets" what you selected to copy and
focuses on the cell you are entering data into.

Solution: You could join the cells into another cell.

Lets say you have the words "Product Code:" in B2 and your actual code in
C2. In cell D2 type =B2&C2 That will join up the text from both of those
fields.

If you wanted to add a space or a comma like in a name you could type =B2&",
"&C2. That would place the information from B2 to the cell and then place a
comma and then a space to that cell before it added the information from C2.

It is also dynamic in that it will change if you edit information in any
cell that is included in the formula.

If you need to copy and paste it, however, you can copy the information from
the column with the formulas and then select paste special and select values
to paste the information and not the formulas.

 

[Dave Peterson]

Select the cell with the XP-### stuff
Copy the characters you want from the formula bar.

Select the other cell
and paste into the formula bar.

Although, if you have a column of these, as a user, I would find that
redundant. I'd just put the "Product Code" label in a header for that column.

Another suggestion would be to use a custom format (if that text doesn't
change):

Format|Cells|Number tab|Custom category:
"Product code: "@

(But I'd find that just as redundant.

 

[Gord Dibben]

One method.............using mouse.

Copy source cell data from the formula bar.

Select target cell and paste into formula bar.

For keyboard only...............

Select source cell and F2 then Shift + Ctrl + Home to select contents.

Ctrl + c to copy.

Select target cell and F2 then Ctrl + v to paste.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP