9780135100509 XLS C05 MS13 - Pearson Educationwps.prenhall.com/.../9780135100509_XLS_C05_MS13.pdf · 9780135100509_XLS_C05_MS13.qxd Author: etimmons Created Date: 7/12/2010 3:55:45

Comma-separated values

Copyright © 2011 by Pearson Education Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.From Skills for Success with Microsoft® Excel 2010 Comprehensive

Format Cells and Worksheets | Microsoft Excel Chapter 5 More Skills: SKILL 13 | Page 1 of 5

� Tabular data is often formatted as comma-separated values—text that uses commas to separate each column of text.

� When a cell contains comma-separated values, the Convert Text to Columns Wizard can convert the text into separate columns.

To complete this document, you will need the following file: � e05_Membership

You will save your document as:� Lastname_Firstname_e05_Membership

1. Start Excel and open the student data file e05_Membership. Save the file in your ExcelChapter 5 folder with the name Lastname_Firstname_e05_Membership Insert the filename in the left footer. Select cell A1 and return to Normal view. Compare your screen with Figure 1.

In this worksheet, all of the data is contained in column A. Instead of using columns,each row uses commas to separate the data. The data is organized using the followingheadings: First Name, Last Name, Member Since, and Handicap.

ExcelCHAPTER 5

Figure 1

More Skills 13 Convert Comma-Separated Text into Columns



2. Select the range A4:A14. Display the Data tab and then in the Data Tools group, click Text to Columns.

3. In the Convert Text to Columns Wizard, under Original data type, verify that theDelimited option button is selected as shown in Figure 2.

A delimiter is the character used to separate columns of text in a data table. Here, thedata uses a comma as the delimiter. Other common delimiters are tabs and spaces.

Figure 2

Rangeselected

Delimitedselected

4. Click Next. Under Delimiters, clear the Tab check box and then select the Comma checkbox. Under Data preview, notice the data is arranged into columns as shown in Figure 3.



Figure 3

Comma selected

Columns displayin Data preview

5. Click Next and then click Finish. Compare your screen with Figure 4.

The wizard evaluates the contents of the cells, and whenever a comma is located, thecomma is removed and the remaining text is moved into the adjacent cell. This patterncontinues until all of the commas are located and removed.



Figure 4

Data organizedinto columns

8. Save your workbook and then print or submit the file as directed by your instructor.Exit Excel.

� You have completed More Skills 13



6. AutoFit columns A:D.

7. Select the range A4:D4 and then display the Home tab. In the Styles group, click CellStyles and then under Titles and Headings, click Heading 4. Select cell A1 and compareyour screen with Figure 5.

Figure 5

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9780135100509 XLS C05 MS13 - Pearson Educationwps.prenhall.com/.../9780135100509_XLS_C05_MS13.pdf · 9780135100509_XLS_C05_MS13.qxd Author: etimmons Created Date: 7/12/2010 3:55:45