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jase24's avatar
jase24
Copper Contributor
Apr 12, 2020
Solved

Merging contents of items in one column to another without losing data

Hi everyone, 

 

Need some help here. I have been stumped on trying to copy all the cells with content from one column, and pasting them onto another column which has space to accommodate. The attached image will show what I'm trying to do. 

 

Please see this link: https://prnt.sc/rxsc9n

 

It illustrates what i am trying to do. My list spans about 60,000 rows, so copying it manually is out of the question. 🙂

 

Thank you so much, Excel gurus!

 

  • jase24 

    Better if you attach screenshot directly to your post, not everyone will click on the link of unknown source. Even more better to attache simple sample file - from ones who check the screenshot not everyone will repeat it in Excel to illustrate the formula.

     

    You may combine columns into third one with IF() formula applying the logic

    if first column cell is empty

    then second column cell value

    else first column cell value

    Enter it for first row, after that select third column till end of the range and Ctrl+D.

4 Replies

  • SergeiBaklan's avatar
    SergeiBaklan
    Diamond Contributor

    jase24 

    Better if you attach screenshot directly to your post, not everyone will click on the link of unknown source. Even more better to attache simple sample file - from ones who check the screenshot not everyone will repeat it in Excel to illustrate the formula.

     

    You may combine columns into third one with IF() formula applying the logic

    if first column cell is empty

    then second column cell value

    else first column cell value

    Enter it for first row, after that select third column till end of the range and Ctrl+D.

    • Horses123's avatar
      Horses123
      Copper Contributor

      SergeiBaklan 

      My apologies, but I still don't understand how to do this, your help is most appreciated. I am trying to merge two columns, one has first, the second has last name.

       

      N

      • mathetes's avatar
        mathetes
        Silver Contributor

        Horses123 

         

        You wrote to @Sergei Baklan 

         

        My apologies, but I still don't understand how to do this, your help is most appreciated. I am trying to merge two columns, one has first, the second has last name.

         

        My first response to you is that you are asking a totally different question from the one that's first in this thread, and for that you should really start a new thread.

         

        Next, to answer your question: to combine first name with last name, assuming first is in column A and second is in column B you could use either of the following, and then copy down to all succeeding rows as needed:

        =CONCATENATE(A1," ",B1)   which will yield "John Smith"

        or

        =A1&" "&B1   with the same result

         

        If you want the new column to be Last, First (so as to be able to sort alphabetically by last name)

        =CONCATENATE(B1,", ",A1) or

        =B1&"' "&A1

         

        But for future reference, please start a new thread ESPECIALLY when you're responding to something that is nearly a year old.

    • jase24's avatar
      jase24
      Copper Contributor
      Thank you so much for the reply. Worked like a charm! Appreciate it! 🙂

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