The TEXTJOIN function in Excel is a powerful tool that allows you to combine text strings from multiple cells into a single cell. This function is particularly useful when you need to concatenate data from different cells, with or without a delimiter. In this article, we will explore how to use the TEXTJOIN function and its various options.
Syntax
The syntax for the TEXTJOIN function is as follows:
=TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore_empty, text1, [text2], ...)
The delimiter is the character or string that you want to insert between each text item. The ignore_empty argument is a logical value that determines whether empty cells should be included or ignored. The text1, text2, and so on, are the text strings or cell references that you want to combine.
Example
Let’s consider a simple example to understand how to use the TEXTJOIN function. Suppose you have a list of names in cells A1 to A5, and you want to combine them into a single cell, separated by a comma. You can use the following formula:
=TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, A1:A5)
This formula will join the names from cells A1 to A5, with a comma and a space as the delimiter. The TRUE argument ensures that empty cells are ignored.
Options
The TEXTJOIN function offers several options that allow you to customize the output:
Delimiter
The delimiter can be any character or string that you want to insert between the text items. It can be a comma, space, hyphen, or any other character of your choice. You can even use a blank string as the delimiter if you want to concatenate the text without any separator.
Ignore Empty Cells
The ignore_empty argument determines whether empty cells should be included or ignored. If set to TRUE, empty cells will be ignored and not included in the final result. If set to FALSE or omitted, empty cells will be treated as text and included in the output.
Text Strings or Cell References
You can specify the text strings directly or use cell references as arguments in the TEXTJOIN function. This allows you to concatenate data from different cells or ranges within your worksheet.
Limitations
While the TEXTJOIN function is a powerful tool, it does have some limitations:
Compatibility
The TEXTJOIN function is available only in Excel 2016 and later versions. If you are using an earlier version of Excel, this function will not be available.
Maximum Characters
The TEXTJOIN function has a maximum limit of 32,767 characters. If the combined text exceeds this limit, the function will return an error.
Array Formula
The TEXTJOIN function is an array formula, which means it needs to be entered with Ctrl+Shift+Enter instead of just pressing Enter. This is necessary to calculate the function correctly.
Conclusion
The TEXTJOIN function in Excel is a valuable tool for combining text strings from multiple cells into a single cell. It offers various options to customize the output, such as choosing a delimiter and ignoring empty cells. By understanding how to use the TEXTJOIN function and its options, you can efficiently concatenate data in Excel and streamline your workflow.