Is Excel a complicated program to work with? The answer to that is no but there will be those that might end up struggling with operating Excel quite a bit. One area where people may struggle would be to understand how to split data into different columns.
It is no secret that Excel support specialists will get this question on a frequent basis. Of course, Excel will also answer this question in a timely manner because it is not a very difficult question to address. The process of being able to split data into different columns can be considered fairly easy to determine as long as it is presented in a clear manner. Excel support helpers can certainly do this but the following breakdown may be enough for you to understand what is needed.
The component here to employ would be to use the Convert Text to Columns wizard. This may sound a little complex on the surface since the name may be a little daunting. However, like all Excel functions, it is very user-friendly.
But, why would splitting data even be performed in the first place? There are scores of different reasons why this particular function will be engaged and the most common one would be to create one column for first names and another column for last names. You could even add further columns next to the names such as the individual's address and any other information you could consider.
Obviously, you can create text into columns with any type of text you wish. Names and addresses are definitely not the exclusive delineations to consider. However, no matter what text or columns you wish to create, you will need to actually create them. Often, many will seek Excel support to explain how the process works which is somewhat understandable as it can be a little confusing if you are not familiar or experienced with the program.
To further underscore how this process works, it is important to understand there are two phases to the process: splitting a column with delimiters and splitting a column with a fixed width. And no, neither is all that difficult to work with.
For the delimited option, you need to pick the column with the data you are interested in and you engage this by selecting the column heading. You then need to venture to the Data tab and hit the Data Tools option and this will allow to access the command Tex to Columns. Once you do that you will need to select Delimited and click Next.
The next step would be to pick your delimiter and you can select from "Tab," "Comma," Space" "Semicolon," and "Other." Afterwards, you will have the chance to select your column format. Once you have picked your column format, you then need to enter in a cell value in the Destination which selects where the split data will be situated. Once you are done here, click Finish.
The Fixed Width version is relatively easy as it follows many of the same steps with the main difference being when you are in the Data function, you will select Fixed Width. Once you have done this, you will create a break via clicking on the character number near the Data Preview. You will then need to select your column format just as you would in the previous version. And yes, you then put in the cell value in the Destination field and click Finish.
On the surface, it becomes fairly obvious why some are in need of the help available from Excel support. Some of these steps may not be immediately known to the average Excel user. This is not because they are unable to get the hang of how Excel operates as much as they are unfamiliar with some of its common and slightly more complicated functions. Hopefully, we have just shed a little light on the way how to split data into different columns in Excel.
It is no secret that Excel support specialists will get this question on a frequent basis. Of course, Excel will also answer this question in a timely manner because it is not a very difficult question to address. The process of being able to split data into different columns can be considered fairly easy to determine as long as it is presented in a clear manner. Excel support helpers can certainly do this but the following breakdown may be enough for you to understand what is needed.
The component here to employ would be to use the Convert Text to Columns wizard. This may sound a little complex on the surface since the name may be a little daunting. However, like all Excel functions, it is very user-friendly.
But, why would splitting data even be performed in the first place? There are scores of different reasons why this particular function will be engaged and the most common one would be to create one column for first names and another column for last names. You could even add further columns next to the names such as the individual's address and any other information you could consider.
Obviously, you can create text into columns with any type of text you wish. Names and addresses are definitely not the exclusive delineations to consider. However, no matter what text or columns you wish to create, you will need to actually create them. Often, many will seek Excel support to explain how the process works which is somewhat understandable as it can be a little confusing if you are not familiar or experienced with the program.
To further underscore how this process works, it is important to understand there are two phases to the process: splitting a column with delimiters and splitting a column with a fixed width. And no, neither is all that difficult to work with.
For the delimited option, you need to pick the column with the data you are interested in and you engage this by selecting the column heading. You then need to venture to the Data tab and hit the Data Tools option and this will allow to access the command Tex to Columns. Once you do that you will need to select Delimited and click Next.
The next step would be to pick your delimiter and you can select from "Tab," "Comma," Space" "Semicolon," and "Other." Afterwards, you will have the chance to select your column format. Once you have picked your column format, you then need to enter in a cell value in the Destination which selects where the split data will be situated. Once you are done here, click Finish.
The Fixed Width version is relatively easy as it follows many of the same steps with the main difference being when you are in the Data function, you will select Fixed Width. Once you have done this, you will create a break via clicking on the character number near the Data Preview. You will then need to select your column format just as you would in the previous version. And yes, you then put in the cell value in the Destination field and click Finish.
On the surface, it becomes fairly obvious why some are in need of the help available from Excel support. Some of these steps may not be immediately known to the average Excel user. This is not because they are unable to get the hang of how Excel operates as much as they are unfamiliar with some of its common and slightly more complicated functions. Hopefully, we have just shed a little light on the way how to split data into different columns in Excel.