Re: Text To Columns: handle missing data correctlyIn the mean time I used Text to columns a lot with the current setting:
I type several separator characters. and Jmp splist the text at each bunch of (!) characters
cool! This way of splitting should definitely stay as default option 
What hurts at the moment:
Advanced log doesn't record the action of Text to Columns!
So not just user-built add-ins have this issue:
Workflow Builder + AddIns
--> would be great if this issue could be fixed with the next release of Jmp.
NB: concerning the original wish:
Recode has an option to split text - treating every single character as a separator
--> can be used as a workaround.
☐ cool new feature
☐ could help many users!
☑ removes a „bug“
☐ nice to have
☐ nobody needs it
Text to Columns is a cool tool to split data from a single column to multiple columns - with a user define separator.
The tool has a neat feature - which (in manny cases) acts more like a bug:
If there are consecutive separator characters, they are automatically treated like a single character (!)
Definitely, this makes sense for spaces.
But let's assume that the data is from a data table. Then two consecutive separator characters indicate that there is an entry with a missing value in-between.
And Text to Column interprets it as a single character, this leads to shifted entries, like illustrated here:
https://community.jmp.com/t5/Discussions/Cols-utilities-how-to-let-lt-text-to-columns-gt-take-care-of/td-p/254339
My wish: please add a checkbox to enable/disable the "use multiple separators as a single one" feature.
Out of historic reasons, one could enable the feature by default.
It's clear that there are workarounds like:
- write your own Text to Columns tool.
- add additional characters between adjacent separator characters.
- export the data set and use the txt import (which fortunately doesn't have this bug/feature)
- use Excel (which has the checkbox)
Automation and ScriptingBasic Data Analysis and ModelingContent OrganizationData Blending and CleanupData Exploration and VisualizationMass CustomizationSharing and Communicating ResultsRe: Text To Columns: handle missing data correctlyHow do I upvote this? I have the same problem. Need an option to NOT treat consecutive delimiters as a single delimiter.
Re: Text To Columns: handle missing data correctlyI got the same problem as well. Excel handles it correctly, but I haven't figured it out in JMP yet.
Apple;red;sweet;fruit
Orange;;fruit
banana;yellow;;fruit
avocado;green;;
I want the data to be-
Apple red sweet fruit
Orange fruit
banana yellow fruit
avocado green
But they end up as
Apple red sweet fruit
Orange fruit
banana yellow fruit
avocado green
Re: Text To Columns: handle missing data correctlyQuestion is what is "correctly"
After some while with Jmp I really learned to love the current functionality. It is sooo useful - so often.
e.g. https://community.jmp.com/t5/Discussions/Extract-all-desired-elements-from-a-string-to-enable-multiple/m-p/686698
Actually, I just used the Excel text-to-column functionality to correct import issues (if I chose the wrong separator). (*)
Workaround here: use the correct separator
The topic gets more urgent if there additional applications besides (*). Which ones?
Re: Text To Columns: handle missing data correctlyWhen you decide to optimize the function,
please also add a checkbox to toggle between the two modes:
1) just calculate (like now)
2) formula columns -> great feature if new data is added!
