Moving Four Rows at a Time

[kc68]

Some time ago, I asked how to move rows so that

a
b
c
d
e
f

became

ab
cd
ef

I've reposted the solution below.

Now I want to have

a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
etc.

become (each letter in a column)

abcd
efgh

I've tried changing the numbers in the following solution to the
original solution without success. How can I move four rows as above?
Thanks.

Original solution:

assume a is in A1
in B1 put in

=if(mod(row(),2)=1,A2,na())
then drag fill down the column

Now select the column, and do Edit=>Copy, then immediately do
Edit=>Paste
Special and select Values

The (column still selected) do Edit=>Goto=>Special and select constants
and
(uncheck all but errors) errors, then do delete and select entirerow.

Ken

 

[JE McGimpsey]

One way:

Assume your values are in column A.

Enter

B1: =INDEX($A:$A,4*(ROW()-1)+(COLUMN()-1))

Copy over to E1.

Copy B1:E1 down as far as necessary

You can then copy B:E and choose Edit/Paste Special/Values

 

[kc68]

Must be missing something: I put
=INDEX($A:$A,4*(ROW()-1)+(COLUMN()-1)) in b1 and hit enter - nothing
happens (column A has letters through p)

alternatively

I put that formula in b1, c1, d1 and e1, hit enter- nothing happens.

Same for putting the formulua just in b1 and e1, same for dragging the
formula down b1:e16

What am I doing wrong?

 

[JE McGimpsey]

What do you mean by "nothing happens"?

Does the formula bar show that the formula was entered?

Does *anything* show up in B1?

 

[kc68]

This time it worked (previously the formula bar did show on top and in
each cell and stayed in each cell when I hit enter). Don't know what I
did, but thank you.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

You probably had the cell formatted as Text, so XL didn't try to parse
the entry as a formula.