Google Sheets, the web-based spreadsheet program offered by Google, comes with a myriad of functionalities that can make organizing, analyzing and working with data a breeze. One of these functionalities is merging data from different cells, and in this blog post, we will guide you through the process of joining first and last names in Google Sheets.
Understanding The Concept
The process of combining the contents of multiple cells is known as Concatenation. In Google Sheets, this can be performed in two ways; using the =CONCATENATE function or using the =& operator. These functions allow you to join the contents of two or more cells into a single cell.
Method One: Using CONCATENATE Function
The CONCATENATE function in Google Sheets is coded as follows: =CONCATENATE(text1, [text2], …). The function joins two or more text strings into one text string. Here is an example of how to use CONCATENATE function:
=CONCATENATE(A2," ",B2)
In this case, A2 is the cell containing the first name, B2 is the cell containing the last name and ” ” is the space in between the first and last name. The output will be a single cell with the first and last name combined.
Method Two: Using & Operator
Another way to concatenate in Google Sheets is by using the & operator. This operator allows you to join one or more text strings into a single text string. Here is an example of how to use the & operator:
=A2&" "&B2
Like the CONCATENATE function, the & operator also combines the content of cells A2 and B2 with a space in between the names.
Format the Output as HTML
To format the output as HTML, you can use the =TEXTJOIN function, which is coded as: =TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore_empty, text1, [text2], …). The function allows you to display the result in HTML format. For instance:
=TEXTJOIN("<br>", TRUE, A2&" "&B2)
This formula will join the first name and last name with a line break as a separator, and the output will be displayed in HTML format.
Conclusion
As you can see, Google Sheets offers a range of possibilities when it comes to managing and organizing data. Whether it’s merging first and last names, or displaying data in HTML format, Google Sheets has got you covered. We hope this guide makes your Google Sheets experience even better. Happy data handling!