Extracting data from Text without Using Formulas in Microsoft Excel 2010

In this article, we will learn how to extract characters from text without using formulas. We use the “Text to Column” wizard to extract characters from the text without using the formulas from a cell in Microsoft Excel.

Let’s understand the functions: -

Text to Column: Text To Column is used for separating the cell content which depends on the way your data is arranged. You can divide the data on the basis of content in the cell such as space, comma, period, semicolon, etc.

Let’s take an example to understand how we can extract characters from the text without using the formulas.

We have data in range A1: A10, which contains 7 headers, but all headers are shown in a cell with the bifurcation sign comma. We want to split the data in columns. To split the data in columns, follow the below given steps: -

Select the cell A1:A10
Go to “Data” Tab, and in the group of “Data Tools”, click on the icon of “Text to Columns” or you can use the shortcut key “ALT>A>E” as well
“Convert Text to Column Wizard” dialog box will appear
Click on Delimited, and then click on “Next”

In the 2^nd Step, adjust the width according the cell content or as per the requirement and you can create the break line to click at the desired position
If you want to delete the break line, just double click on the break line and if you want to move the break line, just drag it
Else you can do it by just clicking on Comma tick box
Click on “Next”

3^rd and final step of “Text to Column”; if you want to separate the content in the next column, Click the icon of “Destination” and select the cell next to the first name B1 and click on “Finish”

By using “Text to Column” option in Excel, you can split the text into desired columns.

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Ron
August 23, 2013 at 8:19 am

We often receive text files to be uploaded to our main frame and the customer does not format them correctly. I have often resorted - in the past - copied the columns into Word, converted the data to text, separated the information so that I could convert it to a table and paste it back into Excel. This tip definitly allows for "done in one" processing! Thank you!

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