Concatenating Numeric Data in Excel: A Comprehensive Guide

Excel offers versatile tools for managing and manipulating data. One common task is to concatenate (join) numeric data while ignoring any non-numeric values, such as alphabets or text. This guide will walk you through the steps and functions to achieve this goal effectively in Excel.

Using Excel Functions for Concatenation

If you are working with Excel versions that support array formulas, such as Excel 365 or later versions, the TEXTJOIN function is highly recommended for this task. Here's how to use the function:

Step-by-Step Guide

Select the cell where you want the concatenated result to appear. Enter the following formula:

TEXTJOIN(", "TRUE, IF(ISNUMBER(A1:A100), A1:A100, ""))

Note: Adjust the range A1:A100 according to your actual data range.

Both TEXTJOIN and ISNUMBER functions are available in Excel 365 and later versions. The formula checks each cell in the specified range and concatenates only those that are numeric, with the values separated by commas.

For older versions of Excel, you can use an array formula, entered with CTRL SHIFT ENTER if necessary, as follows:

Array Formula:

TEXTJOIN(", "TRUE, IF(ISNUMBERA1:A100), A1:A100, ""))

User-Defined Functions (UDFs) for Concatenation

If you're working with a large dataset or need to maintain a consistent approach, you can use VBA to create custom functions.

NumberOnlyEntry Function

The NumberOnlyEntry function checks each character of the input string and includes only numeric characters. Here's the VBA code:

Function NumberOnlyEntry(Entry As String) As StringFor i  1 To Len(Entry)    ThisChar  Mid(Entry, i, 1)    Select Case Asc(ThisChar)        Case 48 To 57            NumberOnlyEntry  NumberOnlyEntry  ThisChar    End Select    Next iEnd Function

JoinDelimiter Function

The JoinDelimiter function is another tool for joining strings. It needs to be placed in a VBA module for use in Excel.

Function JoinDelimiter(MyRange As Range, Delimiter As String) As VariantDim Cell As RangeFor Each Cell In MyRange    JoinDelimiter  JoinDelimiter  Delimiter  Next CellJoinDelimiter  Mid(JoinDelimiter, 2)End Function

Using User-Defined Functions in Excel

To use these custom functions in Excel, follow these steps:

Open your Excel workbook. Press Alt F11 to open the VBA editor. Insert a new module from the Insert menu. Paste the VBA code for the custom functions into the module. Save the workbook with a `.xlsm` extension to retain the VBA code.

Once done, you can now call these functions within your Excel worksheet formulas. For example:

JoinDelimiter(NumberOnlyEntry(A1:A100), ", ")

This will return a concatenated string of numbers separated by commas from the specified range.

Conclusion

Excel offers powerful tools for concatenating numeric data, whether using built-in functions or custom VBA functions. By following the methods outlined in this guide, you can streamline your Excel workflow and ensure accurate and consistent data manipulation.

Keywords: Excel Concatenate, Numeric Data, User-Defined Functions