Many data files are stored in a plain text format where the values are separated by certain characters such as commas, semicolons, or tabs. These are called delimited files. The benefit of such files is that they can be easily opened and used across different platforms and spreadsheet applications, not just Excel. The most popular types of delimited files include:
- CSV (Comma-Separated Values)
- Semicolon-separated file
- Tab-Separated Files (TSV)
For example, in a semicolon-delimited file, each value within a record is divided by a semicolon, and each record itself starts on a new line.
When you import such a file into Excel, the data gets arranged neatly into rows and columns.
In this lesson, we’ll focus on semicolon-separated files and see how Excel can handle them. While doing so, you’ll also get familiar with an important tool called Text to Columns.
The Text to Columns feature allows you to break text from one column into multiple columns based on a delimiter of your choice. For instance, if the first and last name are stored together in a single cell, this tool can quickly split them into two separate columns. You’ll find this option on the Data tab of the Excel ribbon under the Data Tools group.
In the upcoming section, we’ll also dive into some handy keyboard shortcuts that can greatly improve your speed and efficiency while working in Excel.