How to add / insert certain character every x characters into cells?
Supposing, I have a list of text strings that I want to insert dashes or any other separators after every four characters into cells to get the following screenshot result. There are too many cells needed to insert the certain character, are there any quick ways to insert dashes every four character in Excel?
Insert certain character every x characters into cell with VBA code
Insert certain character every x characters into cell with Kutools for Excel
Insert certain character every x characters into cell with VBA code
You can apply the following VBA code to insert a specific character after every four characters into cells, please do as follows:
1. Hold down the ALT + F11 keys in Excel, and it opens the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
2. Click Insert > Module, and paste the following code in the Module Window.
VBA code: Insert certain character every x characters into cell
Sub InsertCharacter()
'Updateby Extendoffice
Dim Rng As Range
Dim InputRng As Range, OutRng As Range
Dim xRow As Integer
Dim xChar As String
Dim index As Integer
Dim arr As Variant
Dim xValue As String
Dim outValue As String
Dim xNum As Integer
xTitleId = "KutoolsforExcel"
Set InputRng = Application.Selection
Set InputRng = Application.InputBox("Range :", xTitleId, InputRng.Address, Type:=8)
xRow = Application.InputBox("Number of characters :", xTitleId, Type:=1)
xChar = Application.InputBox("Specify a character :", xTitleId, Type:=2)
Set OutRng = Application.InputBox("Out put to (single cell):", xTitleId, Type:=8)
Set OutRng = OutRng.Range("A1")
xNum = 1
For Each Rng In InputRng
xValue = Rng.Value
outValue = ""
For index = 1 To VBA.Len(xValue)
If index Mod xRow = 0 And index <> VBA.Len(xValue) Then
outValue = outValue + VBA.Mid(xValue, index, 1) + xChar
Else
outValue = outValue + VBA.Mid(xValue, index, 1)
End If
Next
OutRng.Cells(xNum, 1).Value = outValue
xNum = xNum + 1
Next
End Sub
3. Then press F5 key to run this code, and a prompt box will pop out to remind you to select the data range that you want to insert certain character within the text strings, see screenshot:
4. And click OK, in the following prompt box, please enter the number that you want to insert certain character every after, see screenshot:
5. Go on clicking OK, and in the followed prompt box, please enter the certain character that you want to add to the text, see screenshot:
6. Click OK button, and choose one cell where you want to output the result in the prompt box, see screenshot:
7. At last, click OK, the certain character has been inserted into each text string every four characters, see screenshot:
Insert certain character every x characters into cell with Kutools for Excel
The above code maybe somewhat difficult for most Excel beginner, here, I can introduce a handy tool -- Kutools for Excel, with its Add Text feature, you can quickly add a specific text or character before, after or the certain positions of the cell value.
| Kutools for Excel : with more than 300 handy Excel add-ins, free to try with no limitation in 30 days. |
If you have installed Kutools for Excel, please do as follows:
1. Select the data range that you want to insert a specific character.
2. Then click Kutools > Text > Add Text, see screenshot:
3. In the Add Text dialog box, specify a character that you want to insert in the Text box, and then choose Specify from the Position section, in the text box, enter the positions that you want to insert the character after, at the same time, you can preview the result at the right pane, see screenshot:
Tips: Here I type 4,8,12 in the textbox of Specify which indicate to insert the specific text after the 4th, 8th and 12th characters of the text string.
4. Then click Ok or Apply button, the specified character has been inserted into the cell values at specific positions.
 |
 |
 |
Click to know more details about this Add Text utility.
Download and free trial Kutools for Excel Now !
Demo: Insert certain character every x characters into cell with Kutools for Excel
Best Office Productivity Tools
Supercharge Your Excel Skills with Kutools for Excel, and Experience Efficiency Like Never Before. Kutools for Excel Offers Over 300 Advanced Features to Boost Productivity and Save Time. Click Here to Get The Feature You Need The Most...
Office Tab Brings Tabbed interface to Office, and Make Your Work Much Easier
- Enable tabbed editing and reading in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, Visio and Project.
- Open and create multiple documents in new tabs of the same window, rather than in new windows.
- Increases your productivity by 50%, and reduces hundreds of mouse clicks for you every day!
