Stop Text to Columns Repeating

[dd/mm/yy]

Hi all

When I run text to columns once, it continues to apply those settings if I paste something else in afterwards. For example, I run text to columns on some comma separated data in my spreadsheet, but then if I try and paste in a sentence including commas it splits the sentence into separate columns too.

Is there anyway to stop this repetition behaviour? I can't find anything on the TTC dialog or in the Excel options.

Thanks in advance

dd/mm/yy

 

[GlennUK]

Text to columns isn't a setting, it's an action. So, Excel can't "apply those settings" to cells, something else must be going on.

 

[BrianB]

The only way I can see at present is to click in the formula bar and Ctrl+V to paste there. I wonder if you have a version of Excel that gives more Paste Special options ?


" It Is A Feature, Not A Bug "
(A quote from Microsoft on any subject imaginable)

 

[dd/mm/yy]

BrianB, thanks for the suggestion, I'm using Excel 2003 but have no extra Paste Special options so can't get around it that way.

Here's an example of my problem:

I put the following data into Excel and run comma separated text to columns on it to split it into columns:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i
j,k,l,m,n,o,p,q,r
s,t,u,v,w,x,y,z,?

Then I try and paste in the following sentence and it also gets split into two columns at the comma, which I don't want:

hello, how are you?

This continues to happen even if I open or create another workbook, it only stops when I close the session and open a new Excel session.

GlennUK, I realise TTC is an action, but I was looking for a "repeat text to columns in this session" type option, if there is one.

Any suggestions anyone?

Thanks in advance

dd/mm/yy

 

[KenCriss]

Are you using the Text to Columns Wizard that comes with Excel or some other piece of VBA or UDF to split your data? I could find nothing in the Excel help dealing with this occurance.

 

[Andrew Poulsom]

Text to Columns retains its settings. See:

http://www.mrexcel.com/board2/viewtopic.php?t=42132

 

[dd/mm/yy]

Thanks for that Andrew, that topic explained and helped me fix the problem! Cheers

dd/mm/yy