Use TEXTJOIN function to combine text values with optional delimiter. It is better than CONCATENATE because you can pass a range instead of individual cells and you can ignore empty cells too. Here is a sample use of TEXTJOIN Excel function.
TEXTJOIN Syntax & examples
To combine values in A1:A5 with comma separator, use =TEXTJOIN(",",,A1:A5) To ignore any blank values while concatenating, use =TEXTJOIN(",",TRUE, A1:A5)
TEXTJOIN Syntax: TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore empty values, range or list of values)
Why TEXTJOIN? Why not CONCATENATE or & operator?
- TEXTJOIN is easy
To combine values in A1:A5 with CONCATENATE, we have to write =CONCATENATE(A1, A2, A3, A4, A5) or A1&A2&A3&A4&A5
With TEXTJOIN, you can simply say =TEXTJOIN(,,A1:A5)
- Add delimiters
You can comma separate or add other delimiters when combining text with TEXTJOIN. While you can do the same with CONCATENATE, it becomes doubly annoying.
=TEXTJOIN(“, “,,A1:A5) gives you a comma separated text of values in A1:A5
3 Advanced TEXTJOIN uses
Here are three advanced examples of TEXTJOIN.
1. Combine values that meet a criteria
1. Combine values that meet a criteriaLet’s say you want to combine all player names for kickers team as shown aside. You can use TEXTJOIN with IF formula to do this.
=TEXTJOIN(“, “,TRUE,IF($C$36:$C$63=”kickers”,$B$36:$B$63,””))
The inner IF function returns an array of team members or blank depending on whether they are in kickers or not.
TEXTJOIN then ignores all blank values and returns comma seperated text.
Same formula with FILTER()
You can also use the newly introduced dynamic array function FILTER to do this job.
=TEXTJOIN(“, “,,FILTER(B36:B63,C36:C63=”kickers”))
Learn more about Excel Dynamic Array functions.
2. Reverse a text
You can use MID function to split a text value in to an array of characters and then reverse them with TEXTJOIN.
For example, below formula reverses “Chandoo”
=TEXTJOIN(,,MID(“Chandoo”,21-ROW($A$1:$A$20),1))
It works up to 20 letters.
How does it work?
MID(“Chandoo”,21-ROW($A$1:$A$20),1) portion returns an array of 20 items {“”;””;””;””;””;””;””;””;””;””;””;””;””;”o”;”o”;”d”;”n”;”a”;”h”;”C”}
This is then combined by TEXTJOIN to return 00dnahC
3. Substitution cipher with TEXTJOIN
Want to communicate in a secret code with your colleague? You can use substitution cipher to map each letter with another letter of alphabet.
We can use either XLOOKUP or VLOOKUP with TEXTJOIN to encrypt text values like this.
Imagine you have a mapping table as shown aside.
To convert a message in cell H92, use this formula
=TEXTJOIN(,,XLOOKUP(MID(H92,ROW($A$1:$A$20),1),subs[Normal], subs[Code],””))
How does it work?
Using the MID() function, we split the text in H92 into an array of 20 values, one per character.
We then pass these letters to XLOOKUP to find matching [Code] from the subs table.
All these values are finally combined by TEXTJOIN to generated our coded message.
What the function - TEXTJOIN in Excel video
I recently started a series of videos on my Youtube channel to demystify Excel functions. This series is named What the function. Watch below WTF tutorial on TEXTJOIN to learn how to use it.
Download TEXTJOIN Example Workbook
Click here to download the TEXTJOIN example file. Use the sample data and formulas to understand TEXTJOIN function better. Play with the data to create something cool on your own and post your TEXTJOIN ideas in the comments.
TEXTJOIN in use - Excel Risk Map
If you want to get some inspiration on how TEXTJOIN can be a force of good, see this Excel risk map. It uses TEXTJOIN to show risks in a matrix format.
21 Responses to “How to Filter Odd or Even Rows only? [Quick Tips]”
Infact, instead of using =ISEVEN(B3), how about to use =ISEVEN(ROW())
So it takes away any chance of wrong referencing.
I like Daily Dose of Excel
I like it.
Just a heads up, you do need to have the Analysis ToolPak add-in activated to use the ISEVEN / ISODD functions. An alternative to ISEVEN would be:
=MOD(ROW(),2)=0
rather than use a formula, couldn't you enter "true" in first cell and "false" in the second and drag it down and than filter on true or false.
Just for clarification, is Ashish looking to filter by even or odd Characters or rows?
so many functions to learn!
Nice support by chandoo and team as a helpdesk. Give us more to learn and make us awesome. Always be helpful.......
In case you want to delete instead of filter,
IF your data is in Sheet1 column A
Put this in Sheet2 column A and drag down
=OFFSET(Sheet1!A$1,(ROWS($1:1)-1)*2,,)
(This is to delete even rows)
To delete odd rows :
=OFFSET(Sheet1!A$2,(ROWS($1:1)-1)*2,,)
If your numbered cells did not correspond to rows, the answer would be even simpler:
=MOD([cell address],2), then filter by 0 to see evens or 1 to see odds.
I sometimes do this using an even simpler method. I add a new column called "Sign" and put the value of 1 in the first row, say cell C2 if C1 contains the header. Then in C3 I put the formula =-1 * C2, which I copy and paste into the rest of the rows (so C4 has =-1 * C3 and so forth). Now I can just apply a filter and pick either +1 or -1 to see half the rows.
Another way, which works if I want three possibilities: in C2 I put the value 1, in C3 I put the value 2, in C4 I put the value 3, then in C5 I put the formula =C2 then I copy C5 and paste into all the remaining rows (so C6 gets =C3, C7 gets =C4, etc.). Now I can apply a filter and pick the value 1, 2, or 3 to see a third of the rows.
Extending this approach to more than 3 cases is left as an exercise for the reader.
Another way =MOD(ROW();2). In this case, must to choose betwen 1 and 0.
[...] How to Filter Even or Odd rows only [...]
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http://www.handycss.com/tips/odd-or-even-rows/
Thanks for the tip, it worked like magic, saved having to delete row by row in my database.
Thanks!
Thankssssssssssssssss
Hi Chandoo- First of all thanks for the trick. It helped me a lot. Here I have one more challenge. Having filtered the data based on odd. I want to paste data in another sheet adjacent to it. How can I do that?
For Example-
A 1 odd
B 3 odd
C 4 even
D 6 even
I have fileted the above data for odd and want to copy the "This is odd number" text in adjacent/next sheet here. How can I do that. After doing this my data should look like this
A 1 odd This is odd number
B 3 odd This is odd number
C 4 even
D 6 even
Hi! Could you please help me find a formula to filter by language?
Thank you!
Chandoo SIR,
I HAVE A DATA IN EXCEL ROWS LIKE BELOW IS THERE ANY FORMULA OR A WAY WHERE I CAN INSTRUCT I CAN MAKE CHANGES , MEANS I WANT TO WRITE ONLY , THE FIG IS FRESH, BUT IN BELOW ROW IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY TAKE THE SOME WORDS FROM FIGS AND MAKE IN PLURAL FORM , WHILE USING '' ARE'' LIKE BELOW
The fig is fresh - row 1
Figs are fresh - row 2
The Pomegranate is red - row 3
Pomegranates are red - row 4
=IF(EVEN(A1)=A1,"EVEN - do something","ODD - do something else") with iferron (for blank Cell)