Importing text into columns

You can import a text file and rearrange the text into columns at the same time.

You can adjust the widths of imported columns and specify a parsing format for imported text.

You can customize how delimited and fixed-width text files are parsed. You can also add a fixed-width parse break to imported text.

To import a text file into columns

Click Tools

Data tools

QuickColumns.

Click the Browse

button in the Text source box, and choose the text file.

Click the Range picker

in the Text source box and select the source cells.

Click the Range picker

in the Destination box and select a location for the imported data.

From the Parse settings list box, choose one of the following:

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Automatic — automatically determines how best to parse the imported text file

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Delimited auto — automatically parses imported delimited text files

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Fixed width auto — automatically parses imported fixed-width text files

If you want to view how data displays in the spreadsheet, click Format.

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The QuickColumns Expert parses one column at a time.

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The Destination box displays the active cell in the spreadsheet. Instead of specifying all the destination cells, you can specify one cell in which to begin inserting the parsed cells.

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You can load previously saved parse settings by pressing the Browse button beside the Parse settings list box, and locating the .qpx file you want to load.

To adjust the column width for imported text

Click Tools

Data tools

QuickColumns.

Click Format.

In the column heading, point to the border until it changes to a double arrow.

Drag the border until the column reaches the required width.

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When you adjust columns that contain fixed-width text, the adjustment may change where the data is placed in the destination cells. When you adjust columns that contain delimited text, the adjustment resizes the entire column and does not affect where the data is placed.

To specify a parsing format for imported text

Click Tools

Data tools

QuickColumns.

Click Format.

In the Format area, select a row or column.

Choose a parsing action from the Action list box:

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Skip — skips a row or column

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Parse — parses a row or column

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Label — copies a row as an unparsed label to the destination cells

You can also
Insert a row, column, or sheet into a parsed text file	Click Break data flow control , and enable a break option.
Merge parsed cells	Click Merge data control .
Switch a column to a row	Select a column, and click Transpose data control .
Switch a row to a column	Select a row, and click Transpose data control .
Specify delimiters as text	Select a row, and click Delimiter to text .
Restore format options	Click Revert text.
Set the style for a column	Select a column, and choose a style from the Style list box.
Set the alignment for a column	Select a column, and choose an alignment from the Alignment list box.
Set the delimiter for a column	Right-click a column. In the Column delimiters dialog box, enable any column delimiter check box.

To customize parse settings for delimited text files

Click Tools

Data tools

QuickColumns.

Click the Browse

button in the Text source box, and choose the text file.

Click the Range picker

in the Text source box and select the source cells.

Click the Range picker

in the Destination box and select a location for the imported data.

Choose Delimited auto from the Parse settings list box.

Click Settings.

In the General area of the Parse settings dialog box, enable any of the following options:

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Apply formatting to spreadsheet — automatically applies the existing spreadsheet formatting to the imported text

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Set spreadsheet column widths — automatically applies the existing spreadsheet column width to the imported text

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Set page length to — lets you label or skip certain rows without parsing

If you enable the Set page length to check box, choose an action from the Action list box, and type a value in the Lines box.

Enable check boxes to establish delimiters (data breaks) in each of the following areas:

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End of cell — establishes the selected character or characters as the start of a new cell within a row

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End of row — establishes the selected character or characters as the start of a new row

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End of sheet — establishes the selected character or characters as the start of a new spreadsheet

If you want to save your parse settings for future use, click Save and type a filename with a .qpx extension.

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If you want data enclosed in a specific text qualifier to be parsed as a label, enable the Text qualifier check box in the Data type area, and type a text qualifier in the Text qualifier box.

To customize parse settings for fixed-width text files

Click Tools

Data tools

QuickColumns.

Click the Browse

button in the Text source box, and choose the text file.

Click the Range picker

in the Text source box, and select the source cells.

Click the Range picker

in the Destination box, and select a location for the imported data.

Choose Fixed width auto from the Parse settings list box.

Click Settings.

In the Data type area, enable any of the following check boxes:

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Skip first character — skips the first character in each line of text

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Ignore nonconforming rows — skips lines in the text that the QuickColumns Expert cannot parse

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Join broken lines at ## characters — unwraps lines before parsing. For example, if the text was generated by an application that wrapped text lines that exceeded 80 characters, enable this check box and type 80 in the Characters box.

To add a fixed-width parse break

Click Tools

Data tools

QuickColumns.

Click Format.

Click Set parse breaks

In the Set parse breaks dialog box, type a value in the Parse break position box.

Click Set.

You can also
Repeat parse breaks at regular intervals	Enable the Repeat every check box, and type a value in the Characters box.
Delete a parse break	Use the Navigate parse break buttons to select a parse break, and click Clear.
Delete all parse breaks	Click Clear all.
Restore default parse breaks options	Click Default.

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