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October 18, 2009 Leave a Comment

Use the Transpose Feature to Change the Orientation of Data Imported into Excel

I am working through the special requests that viewers have sent me. In this lesson, I show you how to:

  • Use Data – Get External Data – to import a simple delimited text file.
  • Use Copy – Paste Special – Transpose – to make a copy of the imported data that is now “vertically oriented.” i.e. The field entries run down the column rather than across the rows.
  • Use the Data – Text-to-Columns feature to break an “address block” (City, State, Zip Code) that is one cell into three distinct cells. This is a terrific time saver!

Now available for purchase: My DVD “The 50 Best Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Excel 2007”

Over 5 1/2 hours of training. Each video lesson focuses on one tip and averages 6 minutes.

Now available from the online store at www.thecompanyrocks.com

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Filed Under: Excel Training, Import Data into Excel, Integrating MS Office Programs, Video Response to Viewers Tagged: , , , , , ,
September 8, 2008 2 Comments

How to Prepare Your Zip Codes for Mailing Labels

Clients call me up in a panic. “Danny, we are sending out a direct mail piece and Excel has screwed up our Zip Codes – they only contain 4 numbers! The Post Office can’t deliver the mailing piece this way. Can you help us?”

Yes I can!

The problem is not with Excel. The problem is not choosing the correct formatting for the Columns / Fields that contain Zip Codes or Postal Codes.

At the risk of jeopardizing some lucrative consulting fees, I will demonstrate how to solve this problem in this short Excel Video Tutorial.

Here are the steps to follow in this Excel Video Lesson:

  1. When you have control over your data, pre-format your Zip Codes column using the “Formant Cells, Number, Special, Zip Code” format.
  2. If your data contains cells with both 4 and 5 digit Zip Codes, use this formula:
  3. =IF(A2<=9999, 0&A2, A2)
  4. Now, you will see some cells formatted as “Text” – aligned to the Left side of the cell and other cells formatted as “Numbers” – aligned to the Right side. Take the next step:
  5. First, Copy the data (the cells w/ the =IF() Function) and choose Paste Special, Values to return the results of the formulas.
  6. With the cells still selected choose, Data, Text-to-Columns and choose “Fixed Length.” After previewing your data, choose the “Format as Text”  button and Finish the Wizard.

Find the Excel Training Video that you want – Index to all Excel Topics

News! My DVD, “The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007” is now availabe to purchase. I invite you to visit my online bookstore for more details.

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Filed Under: Excel Training, Text Functions Tagged: , , , , ,
July 26, 2008 Leave a Comment

Learn how to convert text in a cell into multiple columns

Here are the steps to follow in this lesson:

  1. Highlight the cells containing the text that you wish to extract.
  2. From the Data menu, choose “Text to Columns” and follow the Wizard.
  3. Choose the correct “Delimiter,” e.g. “Space” or “Tab.”
  4. Preview the result and click Finish.
  5. Cut and paste as needed.

Find the video lesson that you want – Index to all Excel Topics

News! My DVD, “The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007” is now available to purchase. I invite you to visit my online bookstore for more details.

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Filed Under: Excel Training, Text Functions Tagged: , ,