Comments on: Is there a regexp for Excel?

Question: Is there a regexp for Excel?

furtive — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 08:49:07 -0800

ExcelFilter: How do I convert a column of names formatted Smith, John into John Smith. Feasible?

By: justkevin

justkevin — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 08:53:43 -0800

From the Data menu, choose Text to Columns using the comma as a delimiter. This will split your first column into two. Then use the CONCENTATE function in a third column to join them back together in the right order.

By: Gortuk

Gortuk — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 09:01:06 -0800

Or use @Search to locate the comma (assuming you always split on the first comma in the text) and use MID and LEFT to extract the pieces to the right and left of the comma:

=MID(A1,(SEARCH(",",A1)+2),100)&" "&LEFT(A1,(SEARCH(",",A1))-1)

By: JJ86

JJ86 — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 09:08:00 -0800

justkevin's solution is pretty cool, I was going to suggest a brute force method using LEN, FIND, LEFT, RIGHT as separate cell formulae.

By: SheIsMighty

SheIsMighty — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 09:45:53 -0800

any idea how to go the other way? 2 columns, 1 first name, 1 last name need to go into one column. (sorry to hijack)

By: SheIsMighty

SheIsMighty — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 09:46:33 -0800

Oops, I re-read the first answer and that may be my answer. I'll try it.

By: DevilsAdvocate

DevilsAdvocate — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 10:28:14 -0800

Spelling counts: it's "CONCATENATE" not "CONCENTATE". But & does the same thing and you don't have to remember how to spell it: A1&B1 does the same thing as CONCATENATE(A1,B1).

By: robhuddles

robhuddles — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 12:44:31 -0800

One more important thing: after you use CONCATENATE, you need to divorce the result from the originals (assuming that you mean to delete the original columns and leave yourself with only the one assembled column.) To do this, simply select all of the cells with the correctly formatted name, then choose Edit -> Copy. Then, with those same cells selected, choose Edit -> Paste Special, and from the resulting dialog box, choose Paste Values.

BTW, you don't actually have to use the CONCATENATE function, either. You can simply say =A1 & " " & B1, which takes the value of A1, adds a space, and then the value of B1. It does the same thing as CONCATENATE.

By: mbd1mbd1

mbd1mbd1 — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 12:56:05 -0800

Me too, JJ. I worked it all out and then came back to post it, but the more elegant solution was already up.