All language subtitles for 7. Joining Data using CONCAT

In the last three lessons, we've spoken mainly about how we can split up tax strings, and we've seen

lots of different methods that we can use to do that.

But what about if we want to do the opposite?

Well, we saw how we can use flashflood to combine values together, but we can also use a text function

called Code Cat.

And you would use can cat whenever you want to join.

Values in different cells together and make them one string.

Now, before we get on to using the can cat function, let me show you another way that you can join

text strings together because we can simply use the ampersand symbol to join cells together.

So, for example, if I want to join together the first name and the last name.

What I could do over here is typing equals select the first cell and then I could use the ampersand

sign.

So if I do, ampersand and select the second cells.

So this time the last name that's going to join these two text strings together.

Now, if I press enter, let's take a look at it.

Well, yes, it has joined them together, but I don't have a space in the middle.

So I also need to account for the space.

So let's double click to edit the cell.

What I need to add in here is after the first ampersand, I need to specify that I want a space between

the names.

Now space counts as text, so it needs to be enclosed in quote marks.

So quote space quote.

And then another ampersand to join the space with the text in Cell B4.

So now when I enter, I get exactly what I'm looking for and I could copy that down and it's going to

do the same for all of those names.

So you can use just an ampersand symbol if you want to join tech strings together, but you need to

make sure that you do account for things like spaces, dashes, commas, things like that.

So very straightforward.

Now Can Cat allows us to do something very similar, but this time we're using an Excel function.

So let's do the same thing.

But this time we're going to use content.

Now, when you start typing Comcare, you'll see that you get two things come up in the list code cat

and CONCATENATE.

Now concatenate is what this function used to be called, and they changed it a few years ago to cat.

But CONCATENATE does still exist in the Excel database, but know that it has a warning symbol next

to it, letting you know that that is kind of an old function and Can Cat is the newest version.

So can Cat works in a similar way.

Our argument is the first piece of text, so we want the first name.

Comma text to name again, if I was just to select the last name and close the bracket, it's going

to give me that with no space.

So what I need to do in here is my text two needs to be the space.

So again, quote mark space, quote mark, comma.

And then when I enter, I'm going to get the format that I need so slightly different using Ampersand.

And I'll leave it up to you which of those methods you find easiest to remember.

Now, just to finish off this exercise, let's take a look at a slightly more complex example.

Now, this time, I want to concatenate the name and the job title.

And this is the format I want to use.

So I want a space separating the first and last name, and then I want a space dash space and then the

job title.

So let's do this both ways.

If I was just using the ampersand symbols, what I could do here is I could say, I want A4 Amazon.

We need a space in there.

So quote marks space, quote marks ampersand.

Then we want the last name ampersand and then we want space dash space.

So quote marks space dash space.

Close quotes ampersand.

And then we want the job title so we can select the cell.

Let's say inside and we get exactly what we're looking for.

I could then copy that down for all of the others.

So that is how we would use the ampersand to concatenate slightly more complex text strings.

What about if we were to use the concept function for this?

Is it any simpler?

Well, let's see.

Tex one is Mary Comma.

Remember, our space is our next piece of text, so quote mark space, quote mark comma.

We then want our text three, which is the last name comma.

Then we want space stuff space.

So quote mark space, dash space, close quote, mark, comma.

And then finally, we want the job title close off the can cat function.

And again, we get exactly what we're looking for.

So that is how Ampersand and Kin cat work.

So now we've seen how we can join text together.

Let's take a look at doing that on our sales worksheet.

So just for this example, we're going to concatenate the country and the product name again.

So let's add in a column control shift plus and let's use canned cat to do this.

So I'm going to type in cat text number one.

So our first piece of text is going to be the country.

Now I want this to have space and then I want the product name, but I want the product name to be in

brackets.

So my text two is going to be a space quote, mark space, quote, mark comma.

What is my text three going to be?

Well, I actually want a bracket in that.

So again, in quote marks, because a bracket is considered text, I'm going to do an open bracket,

close the quote mark comma.

Then I want the word Kensington comma, and then I want a closing bracket.

So quote mark, close quote mark and then close off the contact function.

Now that looks like a really weird function when you just look at it with all of these quote marks in

there.

But hopefully when we enter, we're going to get exactly what we want and we do, and we can double

click to copy that down now just for fun.

Let's see what that would look like if we were using Amazon's So Equals Japan, then we want an Amazon,

then we want a space quote space quote.

Amazon.

Then we want an opening bracket.

So quote bracket quote.

Amazon.

Then we want the product.

So be to Amazon.

And then we want a closing bracket.

Quote, closing bracket quote.

And that is it.

And and we get exactly the same thing.

So once again, I will leave it to you as to which of those methods you prefer.

Now we don't actually want to combine these like that, so I'm just simply going to delete out that

column.