Merging Cells with Data In Them

[hellonpluto]

Hi

I'm a newbie to this site.

I have a big spreadsheet that will be used to import names an
addresses into a CRM system.

I have noticed that I need to merge the Initial (column B) and Surnam
(column C) fields together. When I highlight the two cells e.g. B2 an
C2 and then click the Merge button, Excel tells me that it will onl
keep the up most left data...click OK and yep I lose the surname!?!$£"
Why does it do that?

Is there any easy way to keep the data in both B2 and C2 on merging?

Any help most appreciated

Thank

 

[Bondi]

Hi,

Maybe you can use a helper-column and use something like this:

=B2&C2
or
=CONCATENATE(B2,C2)

Regards
Bondi

 

[hellonpluto]

Thanks for the quick reply!!!

I did that but wanted a space in between the initial and the surname
tried to put one in the formula but then it nacked the cell format
somehow!?!

E.g. in cell F2 I entered =B2&C2 that works great but does not have a
space between initial and surname

I then thought I'd do =B2&" "&C2 this did not work and even if you
delete the cell and then enter =B2&C2 it will only display =B2&C2!

I wrote a quick qbasic program to do it for me...

c = 0
OPEN "c:\personi2.txt" FOR OUTPUT AS #1
OPEN "c:\personi1.txt" FOR INPUT AS #2
DO UNTIL EOF(2)
LINE INPUT #2, next.line$
c = c + 1
LOCATE 1, 1: PRINT "Working:"; c
l = LEN(next.line$)
t = 0
d = 0
FOR a = 1 TO l
IF MID$(next.line$, a, 1) = CHR$(9) THEN t = t + 1
IF t = 2 AND d = 0 THEN
new.line$ = LEFT$(next.line$, a - 1) + " " + MID$(next.line$, a
+ 1, l -a)
PRINT #1, new.line$
d = 1
END IF
NEXT a
LOOP
CLOSE #2
CLOSE #1

 

[Dave Peterson]

That cell (or column of cells) that you typed the =b2&c2 formula was formatted
as text.

Select that column
format|cells|number tab|choose General
type your formula and it should work.

(too little, too late, huh?)