Comma in Quoted Text Causes Conversion to Two Columns in Table

 Last reviewed: February 5, 1998
Article ID: Q89831
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SUMMARY

In a Word for Windows comma- or tab-delimited document, when a quoted text field contains a comma (used as punctuation), Word for Windows breaks the quoted text into two columns when you convert it to a table. The text to the left of the comma is placed in the first column and the text to the right of the comma is placed in the second column. This occurs because Word for Windows does not differentiate between commas used as delimiters and commas used as punctuation.

When you convert such text to a table, you must merge the two columns with the Merge Cells command.

MORE INFORMATION

The following is a sample comma-delimited data document: 

   Andy Slagg,"Ashland, OR",97520
   Walt Moore,"Santa Monica, CA",97007
   Dave Fay,"Bellevue, WA",98005
The following table resembles the table you would get by selecting the text above and choosing Insert Table from the Table menu (in versions 1.0, 1.1 and 1.1a of Word for Windows, choose Table from the Insert menu): 

   ----------------------------------------------
   |Andy Slagg   |"Ashland       |OR"    |97520  |
   |Walt Moore   |"Santa Monica  |CA"    |97007  |
   |Dave Fay     |"Bellevue      |WA"    |98005  |
   ----------------------------------------------
If Word for Windows converted the text in quotation marks correctly, the table would look like this: 

   -------------------------------------------
   |Andy Slagg   |Ashland, OR        |97520  |
   |Walt Moore   |Santa Monica, CA   |97007  |
   |Dave Fay     |Bellevue, WA       |98005  |
   -------------------------------------------

Workaround

  1. In the comma-delimited data file, select all the data records.

  2. From the Table menu, choose Insert Table.

  3. To merge the two columns that contain the separated data, select both columns and choose Merge Cells from the Table menu. Note that Word for Windows inserts a paragraph mark in the text of the merged columns.

  4. From the Edit menu, choose Replace. In the Find What box type "^p" (without the quotation marks). In the Replace With box type ", " (a comma and a space, without the quotation marks). Choose the Replace All button.

  5. In the Find What box, type a quotation mark ("). Clear the contents of the Replace With box (it should be blank). Choose the Replace All button. Choose the Close button.

Reference:

"Word for Windows User's Guide," version 2.0, pages 257-258, 265, 314- 318

KBCategory: kbprint kbusage
KBSubcategory: kbtable kbmerge
Additional query words: 6.0 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 7.0 word95
word7 word6 winword 1.0 winword2 1.10 1.10a split breaks broken word97

Keywords : kbmerge kbtable
Version : 1.x 2.x 6.0 6.0a 6.0c 7.0 7.
Platform : WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: February 5, 1998
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