Joining Two Sest Of Data

[andy-hughes]

Me again!

I have two Excel spreadsheets and I want to combine them.

I got the first sheet - data entries look like this -

YOU'RE THE ONE FOR ME 12 INCH D TRAIN

and the second sheet entries look like this -

A Day Without Love - Love Affair.mp

I have copied the 'A' section of the new sheet and tried to A-Z it into the existing list.

I have tried doing this on the entire sheet, and on just the 'A' section of the existing sheet, and it won't work on either of them.

Can anyone explain what I am doing wrong please? What remains of my hair is in serious danger!!

[Etch]

What do you mean by "neither of them work"? How did you do the 'Paste Values'?

[JimF]

Saying "it doesn't work" really isn't very helpful. In what way does it not work? What happens / doesn't happen? Do you see any error / warning messages?

[andy-hughes]

Jim - // Saying "it doesn't work" really isn't very helpful. In what way does it not work? What happens / doesn't happen? Do you see any error / warning messages? //

Apologies - when I say it doesn't work, I mean that nothing at all happens, no addition of data onto the spreadsheet, no indication why not, literally nothing at all happens.

[andy-hughes]

Etch - // What do you mean by "neither of them work"? How did you do the 'Paste Values'? //

I dido't realise Paste Values is a process, I don't know how to do that.

[bednobs]

are you using a mouse or ctr c then ctrl v? when you have 'picked up' the stuff you want to add to the first list by copying are you sure you have it (is there a wavy line round the cells you have copied?)
Does the new stuff actually paste into the list you want it to go into?

[Etch]

How do you 'Paste' then? It sounds as if you are unfamiliar with the right-click method, which gives lots of options, including 'Paste Values'.

[Etch]

Clicking on the word 'Paste' (not the icon above it) in the Excel ribbon will also give the 'Paste Values' options.

[New Judge]

Maybe I'm reading this wrongly.

To do what you want, highlight the entries from the second sheet that you want to copy into the first. Then (ensuring you do not move the cursor and so "unhighlight" those cells):

Right-click "Copy"

Go to the first sheet. Click in the cell you want the entries from the second sheet to appear. Then

Right-click

You will see a ribbon with six options appear. The first (on the left) is paste everything as it is (values, formulae, formatting). The second is "Values" which copies the values from the source and, when placing them in the destination, those entries assume the formatting of the destination cells. Click this.

This should see the entries from your second sheet appear in the first. Is this what results in it not working?

[Old_Geezer]

You need a text editor sophisticated enought to sort for you.

Copy from the spreadsheet into the text editor (since I assume it's pasting into the spreadsheet that's the issue).

After sorting select the now text, see if that will paste into the spreadsheet; and hopefully be recognised for what it is by the spreadsheet.

[Etch]

"You need a text editor sophisticated enough to sort for you" - no he doesn't, as ToraToraTora has already said, Excel is perfectly adequate for what andy-hughes is trying to do.

[andy-hughes]

OK - progress, of a sort!

The computer has now decided to answer my request to paste the second lot of data into the first spread sheet, even though I have only repeated the same 'paste' instructions as before, it has now opted to comply.

My next problem, is integrating the two lots of data.

i have highlighted the specific section I want to integrate into, and the data I want to integrate, with no gaps, and asked it to 'A-Z'.

It does the first three entries, and ignores the rest?

Any ideas most helpful tekkies?

[Etch]

OP: "tried to A-Z it into the existing list"
latest: "section I want to integrate into"
You need to explain EXACTLY what it is you are trying to do, because it certainly isn't obvious to those of us who are familiar with Excel!

[Old_Geezer]

"Excel is perfectly adequate for what andy-hughes is trying to do."

2 problems with that. 1st I was clarifying my previous suggestion, as I was asked, so whether Excel is supposed to be able to do it isn't relevant. Then 2nd, if Excel is capable, then something is causing it problems, which is why an alternative is being sought.

[New Judge]

What do you mean by "integrate into" Andy?

You now have a list of entries (presumably) in one column. What do you want to do with them? "Integrate into" is not something I understand.

[Etch]

OK, I've re-read what you've written and I think it is the terminology that is confusing me. When you say "I have copied the 'A' section of the new sheet and tried to A-Z it into the existing list" I think you mean "I have appended contents from the 'A' column of the new sheet to the end of the corresponding column in the existing sheet and have tried to 'Sort A to Z' on this combined column". Is that right?

[THECORBYLOON]

The "paste values" option allows you to paste the number or text in a cell without it also containing the formula that produced that number or text.

By "integrate", I take that to mean he is wanting to amalgamate his two sets of data into alpha order, "sort", in other words.

There are loads of things that excel can do and folk might be able to explain what they're wanting to do without knowing the exact word or phrase used for that excel action.

[andy-hughes]

Apologies if I am not explaining myself very well.

What I have now is a selection of material on a spread sheet, with the Column A data in alphabetical order.

I have managed to add some additional data onto the same sheet, also in alphabetical order.

What I want to do now is to merge the two sets of data so that I have one set of data with everything in alphabetical order.

i have highlighted two lots of data, with no line-gaps between them, and clicked 'A-Z'.

Now I have the first three entries sorted, but it has ignored the rest - does anyone know why that might be please?

[THECORBYLOON]

Are there any cells with a space before the text?

Are you able to upload a close up of the data you have before and after you sort them?

[New Judge]

Are the two lots of data in the same column (so you really have just one lot, but not in the order you want it)?

[THECORBYLOON]

Are the two sets in the same column or in different columns?