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Cut the data after the comma from one column and paste it to new column automatically?

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    Cut the data after the comma from one column and paste it to new column automatically?

    Hi guys, I have a bit of a problem I wonder if I can do this with a few clicks instead of this tedious manual method.

    I have a column of data with first name, last name, separated by a comma. There are 5000 names to get through and right now I'm cutting the last name (after the comma) and then pasting to a new column. Basically I need the first name and last name to be in two columns rather than in the one column separated by a comma like this..

    Is there a way for excel to do this automatically for me?

    So for example i want:

    [Fred,Bloggs] - in the one column, to be turned into [Fred][Bloggs] - in two separate columns.

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    Forum Expert newdoverman's Avatar
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    Re: Cut the data after the comma from one column and paste it to new column automatically?

    Have you tried using from the Data Tab, Text to columns?

    Select your text.
    Click on the Data Tab, Text to columns
    Select Delimited
    Select the Comma as delimiter
    Click Finnish
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    Re: Cut the data after the comma from one column and paste it to new column automatically?

    Maybe with formula

    =LEFT(A1,FIND(",",A1)-1)&"]"

    and

    ="["&RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-FIND(",",A1))


    Row\Col
    A
    B
    C
    1
    [Fred,Bloggs] [Fred] [Bloggs]
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    Re: Cut the data after the comma from one column and paste it to new column automatically?

    Quote Originally Posted by newdoverman View Post
    Have you tried using from the Data Tab, Text to columns?

    Select your text.
    Click on the Data Tab, Text to columns
    Select Delimited
    Select the Comma as delimiter
    Click Finnish
    I will give this a try in a moment newdoverman, thanks for the tip.

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    Re: Cut the data after the comma from one column and paste it to new column automatically?

    Quote Originally Posted by newdoverman View Post
    Have you tried using from the Data Tab, Text to columns?

    Select your text.
    Click on the Data Tab, Text to columns
    Select Delimited
    Select the Comma as delimiter
    Click Finnish
    I will give this a try in a moment Newdoverman, thanks for the tip.

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    Re: Cut the data after the comma from one column and paste it to new column automatically?

    Quote Originally Posted by AlKey View Post
    Maybe with formula

    =LEFT(A1,FIND(",",A1)-1)&"]"

    and

    ="["&RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-FIND(",",A1))


    Row\Col
    A
    B
    C
    1
    [Fred,Bloggs] [Fred] [Bloggs]
    Thanks for the formula Alkey. Actually I should mention that the brackets "[ ]" were just to show an example of the column borders (they aren't actually in the data) - would that mean I just need to delete them from the formula or would it be drastically changed?

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    Forum Guru AlKey's Avatar
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    Re: Cut the data after the comma from one column and paste it to new column automatically?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gorguruga View Post
    Thanks for the formula Alkey. Actually I should mention that the brackets "[ ]" were just to show an example of the column borders (they aren't actually in the data) - would that mean I just need to delete them from the formula or would it be drastically changed?
    Then why did you showed them?

    =LEFT(A1,FIND(",",A1)-1)

    =RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-FIND(",",A1))

    without brackets

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    Re: Cut the data after the comma from one column and paste it to new column automatically?

    Quote Originally Posted by AlKey View Post
    Then why did you showed them?

    =LEFT(A1,FIND(",",A1)-1)

    =RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-FIND(",",A1))

    without brackets
    Yes, sorry for showing the brackets because I'm new to the forum. I was using the brackets just to demonstrate the column borders. Thanks for the updated formula i'll give it a try.

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    Re: Cut the data after the comma from one column and paste it to new column automatically?

    Quote Originally Posted by AlKey View Post
    Then why did you showed them?

    =LEFT(A1,FIND(",",A1)-1)

    =RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-FIND(",",A1))

    without brackets
    Yes, sorry for showing the brackets because I'm new to the forum. I was using the brackets just to demonstrate the column borders. Thanks for the updated formula i'll give it a try.

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    Re: Cut the data after the comma from one column and paste it to new column automatically?

    Quote Originally Posted by newdoverman View Post
    Have you tried using from the Data Tab, Text to columns?

    Select your text.
    Click on the Data Tab, Text to columns
    Select Delimited
    Select the Comma as delimiter
    Click Finnish
    Newdoverman, you are a genius! This worked straight away, thanks so muchyou literally just saved me a whole day's worth of work.

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    Re: Cut the data after the comma from one column and paste it to new column automatically?

    I'm glad to have helped. This built in function of Excel is very handy at times.

    If that takes care of your original question, please select Thread Tools from the menu link above and mark this thread as SOLVED. Thanks.

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