Have you ever wondered how to efficiently move new lines in a cell to columns in Google Sheets? Well, look no further! In this article, I will guide you through the process step by step, making it easy for you to organize and analyze your data effectively.
Understanding Text Wrapping and New Lines in Google Sheets
Before we dive into the process, let’s clarify the difference between text wrapping and new lines in a cell in Google Sheets. Text wrapping is a built-in feature that allows you to wrap values within a cell, preventing them from overflowing into neighboring cells. On the other hand, new lines are used to separate different entries within a single cell.
How to Add New Lines in a Cell in Google Sheets
Adding new lines in a cell is simple. If the cell is blank, double-click the cell and hit “Alt+Enter” multiple times to insert new lines. For example, if you want to add five new lines in cell A1, double-click the cell, and press “Alt+Enter” four times.
If the cell already has a value and you want to move the existing text to new lines within that cell, double-click the cell, position the cursor where you want the new line to start, and hit “Alt+Enter.”
Cleaning New Lines and Inserting Commas as Separators
To reverse the new lines in a cell and ensure readable text in Google Sheets, you can use the CLEAN function. Simply input the following formula: =clean(cell). For example, if your data is in cell D2, the formula would be =clean(D2).
However, to make the text even more readable, you can replace the new line character with commas using the SUBSTITUTE function. The formula would be as follows: =SUBSTITUTE(cell,char(10),", "). This will replace the new line character (represented by char(10)) with a comma and an additional space.
To ensure that any hidden characters are also removed, you can include the CLEAN function in the formula: =clean(SUBSTITUTE(cell,char(10),", ")).
Moving New Lines to Columns in Google Sheets
Now let’s move on to the exciting part—moving new lines to columns! You can achieve this by using the SPLIT function in Google Sheets. The formula is simple: =split(cell,char(10)).
By grouping items in a single cell using new lines, you can separate each group into columns. To do this, we’ll combine multiple formulas. Here is the formula you can use:
=ArrayFormula(transpose(split(transpose(split(substitute(SUBSTITUTE(cell,char(10)&char(10),"|"),char(10),"^"),"|")),"^")))
Let’s break down the steps for a better understanding:
Step 1:
The formula first substitutes the double new line (blank line generated using char(10) twice) with the pipe | symbol: =SUBSTITUTE(cell,char(10)&char(10),"|").
Step 2:
In the next step, another substitution replaces the single new line with the caret ^ symbol: =substitute(SUBSTITUTE(cell,char(10)&char(10),"|"),char(10),"^").
Step 3:
Now it’s time to split and transpose the text separated by the pipe symbol: =transpose(split(substitute(SUBSTITUTE(cell,char(10)&char(10),"|"),char(10),"^"),"|")).
The output will look like this:
Name of Person^Tracy^Matthew^Ada^Robin
Emp. Code^EMP1105^EMP1106^EMP1107^EMP1108
Basic Pay^450.00^450.00^400.00^425.00Step 4:
Finally, split the text separated by the caret symbol and transpose it again. This is our final formula!
I hope this detailed explanation has clarified how to move new lines in a cell to columns in Google Sheets. I have also included some additional tips to enhance your experience. If you found this tutorial helpful, please consider sharing it with others. Thank you!
You may also like: How to Wrap Text Using Formula in Google Sheets.
Now go forth and conquer your data organization tasks with ease in Google Sheets!
