Combine 3 columns into one in Excel 2011 for Mac

Question

I am trying to manipulate a bunch of string elements I have put in columns in Excel. I then filled the preceding column with data, and then the following column as well. Now I want to delete the column boundaries, leaving one column with the data from all the columns in that one. Like so:

      A    B    C  
    1 @    #    @   
    2 @    #    @  
    3 @    #    @  

And I want it to look like this:

  A     B     C  
1      @#@  
2      @#@  
3      @#@  

The actual names of the columns and rows are irrelevant, I think, but they are adjacent.

Answer 1

Set up column D to use the formula =CONCATENATE(A1,B1,C1) then delete columns ABC

Answer 2

Mark's answer doesn't work - if you do these steps, the concatenated cell "D" no longer has data in it.

After doing the concatenate as above, you need to copy the contents of column D and paste them into an empty column - Column E. But don't do a regular paste, choose "Paste Special..." and then select "values." This will paste the data from column D into column E. Now Column E contains the text, and is no longer dependent on any other column. This last step is especially important if you want to copy and past the data out of Excel into something else.

Answer 3

Make a new column. In that column put in the following

=A1&" "&B1&" "&C1 

Hit Tab. You will then see in your new column @ # @. I put a space in between the " ". If you wanted, you could add a comma and it would look like (", ") this.

Then take the first cell and copy formula all the way down. Once you do, highlight the column and cut and paste special "Value". That way all the formulas become the actual text.