In some cases, the data you want to use is split in two, three, or more columns.
You can group these columns using a concatenation.
The dataset used in this example contains the first name, middle name and last name of
several customers, in three distinct columns. The Concatenate
columns function will be used to merge this information in a single
column.
Procedure
-
Use
Ctrl +
click
or
Shift + click
to select the
headers of the columns you want to use for the concatenation, First Name, Middle
Name and Last Name in
this case.
-
In the Functions panel,
type Concatenate columns and click the
result to display the options of the associated function.
-
In the Separator field,
add a space.
You can input any other character to act as separator for the
merged data.
-
Click the Submit button
to apply the function.
The result of the function will be output in a new
column.
Results
The content of the
First
Name,
Middle Name and
Last Name columns is merged using a concatenation and
you can delete the unnecessary columns.
To build the new column, the data is taken from the selected
columns in a left to right order. If you insert a step that changes the original
order of your columns, or add columns between columns used in the concatenation, the
final result won't change.