Hafiz, One of our avid readers, writes in.
Dear chandoo,
all the time, I use to spend time exploring chandoo.org. it’s very helpful site. thanks for your day & night efforts.
here I have to face a problem with “Text to Column”. can you please spare some time & guide me.
The problem is when I convert data from text to column using dash “-“, conversion is easy. but when the gap provided in text is with “alt+enter”, i can’t convert the data.
Do you have some solution specifically using text to column.
Well, I tried to use text to columns feature (from Data ribbon) and it would not work.
Although you can use formulas to do the splitting, they might become tedious. So the next logical option is to use macros.
Excel Macros to Split Text on New Lines
So I wrote a simple macro, that would take the text in current cell, split it and place it in adjacent cells. Like this:
Macro Code to split text on new line:
Here is the macro code to split text based on new lines.
Sub splitText()
'splits Text active cell using ALT+10 char as separator
Dim splitVals As Variant
Dim totalVals As Long
splitVals = Split(ActiveCell.Value, Chr(10))
totalVals = UBound(splitVals)
Range(Cells(ActiveCell.Row, ActiveCell.Column + 1), Cells(ActiveCell.Row, ActiveCell.Column + 1 + totalVals)).Value = splitVals
End Sub
How does this code work?
- First we take the activecell’s value and split it based on Chr(10) as delimiter. This is the code for new lines.
- Then, we assign this split values to the range of cells adjacent to active cell.
- Then, we go grab a cup of coffee and sing our favorite song. Because the work is done!
Download Example Workbook
Click here to download example workbook and play with this macro. Make sure to enable macros.
How do you split text?
I really like the built-in text import feature in Excel and use it often. I use it to clean data, remove unnecessary columns or split text. In cases like this, I resort to VBA to have good control over how I want to split.
What about you? How do you split text. What is your experience. Please share your ideas and tips using comments.
Learn more about Splitting Text
If you split often, you will find this tutorial useful.
More VBA & Excel Macro Examples
If you want to learn VBA, go thru these examples
13 Responses to “Using pivot tables to find out non performing customers”
To avoid the helper column and the macro, I would transpose the data into the format shown above (Name, Year, Sales). Now I can show more than one year, I can summarize - I can do many more things with it. ASAP Utilities (http://www.asap-utilities.com) has a new experimental feature that can easily transpose the table into the correct format. Much easier in my opinion.
David
Of course with alternative data structure, we can easily setup a slicer based solution so that everything works like clockwork with even less work.
David, I was just about to post the same!
In Contextures site, I remember there's a post on how to do that. Clearly, the way data is layed out on the very beginning is critical to get the best results, and even you may thinkg the original layout is the best way, it is clearly not. And that kind of mistakes are the ones I love ! because it teaches and trains you to avoid them, and how to think on the data structure the next time.
Eventually, you get to that place when you "see" the structure on the moment the client tells you the request, and then, you realized you had an ephiphany, that glorious moment when data is no longer a mistery to you!!!
Rgds,
Chandoo,
If the goal is to see the list of customers who have not business from yearX, I would change the helper column formula to :
=IF(selYear="all",sum(C4:M4),sum(offset(C4:M4,,selyear-2002,1,columns(C4:M4)-selyear+2002)))This formula will sum the sales from Selected Year to 2012.
JMarc
If you are already using a helper column and the combox box runs a macro after it changes, why not just adjust the macro and filter the source data?
Regards
I gotta say, it seems like you are giving 10 answers to 10 questions when your client REALLY wants to know is: "What is the last year "this" customer row had a non-zero Sales QTY?... You're missing the forest for the trees...
Change the helper column to:
=IFERROR(INDEX(tblSales[[#Headers],[Customer name]:[Sales 2012]],0,MATCH(9.99999999999999E+307,tblSales[[#This Row],[Customer name]:[Sales 2012]],1)),"NO SALES")
And yes, since I'm matching off of them for value, I would change the headers to straight "2002" instead of "Sales 2002" but you sort the table on the helper column and then and there you can answer all of your questions.
Hi thanks for this. Just can't figure out how you get the combo box to control the pivot table. Can you please advise?
Cheers
@Kevin.. You are welcome. To insert a combo box, go to Developer ribbon > Insert > form controls > combo box.
For more on various form controls and how to use them, please read this: http://chandoo.org/wp/2011/03/30/form-controls/
Thanks Chandoo. But I know how to insert a combobox, I was more referring to how does in control the year in the pivot table? Or is this obvious? I note that if I select the Selected Year from the PivotTable Field List it says "the field has no itens" whereas this would normally allow you to change the year??
Thanks again
worked it out thanks...
when =data!Q2 changes it changes the value in column N:N and then when you do a refreshall the pivottable vlaues get updated
Still not sure why PivotTable Field List says “the field has no itens"?? I created my own pivot table and could not repeat that.
Hi, I put the sales data in range(F5:P19) and added a column D with the title 'Last sales in year'. After that, in column D for each customer, the simple formula
=2000+MATCH(1000000,E5:P5)
will provide the last year in which that particular customer had any sales, which can than easily be managed by autofilter.
Somewhat longer but perhaps a bit more solid (with the column titles in row 4):
=RIGHT(INDEX($F$4:$P$19,1,MATCH(1000000,F5:P5)),4)
[…] Finding non-performing customers using Pivot Tables […]