Zip code: eliminating the last 4 digits

[polska2180]

Okay when I run a report from my system I get zip codes that are as fallows

65014
65184
35489
648799648
65489
634558987
61354

Anywasy some of the have the 4 digits at the end that give me problems. Is there a way that i could quickly get rid of the 4 digits at the end and keep the original 5 so that all would read.

65014
65184
35489
64879
65489
63455
61354

 

[Mark W.]

Parse your values using Text to Columns... Fixed width option.

 

[polska2180]

that will not help as i need to import data to another program and it reads it as 9 digits and wants 5

 

[Mark W.]

I'll try again... here's the Before and After using Text to Columns...

Book2
	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
1	BEFORE		AFTER
2	65014		65014
3	65184		65184
4	35489		35489
5	648799648		64879
6	65489		65489
7	634558987		63455
8	61354		61354
9
10
Sheet2

 

[polska2180]

I don't get what happened here

what does text to column mean?

 

[Mark W.]

See the Data | Text to Columns... menu command. It invokes a wizard... follow the steps. Make sure that you apply the "Skip" format to the 2nd column (containing the last 4 digits).

 

[polska2180]

okay i have never used this function in excel and i do not know what im doing. I do not know what options I have to choose it takes me through 3 steps.

Thanks for the help again.

 

[TheNoocH]

why not just use =left(a1,5)

 

[Mark W.]

Specify Fixed width at Step 1 (see my first post)
Insert a column break between characters 5 and 6 at Step 2
Format the 1st column as Text and the 2nd as Skip

 

[Mark W.]

why not just use =left(a1,5)

It creates a separate column.