Create selected lines into table in Microsoft Word/Openoffice

I want to move the entire content of an MS Word file into a table.

The content consists of Objective Questions like:

Question 1

a. option1 b. option2 c. option3 d. option4
Question 2

a. option1 b. option2 c. option3 d. option4

... and so on.

I was looking for it to get converted into a single-column table like this:

+---------------------------------------+
|1.Question 1 Description               |
|a)option1      b)option2               |
|c)option3      d)option4               |
|---------------------------------------|
|2.Question 2 Descripton                |
|a)option1      b)option2               |
|c)option3      d)option4               |
+---------------------------------------+

... and so on.

I tried using the "Convert text to table" option, but was not able to achieve this.

How can I do so?

Nishant Kashyap

Posted 2013-02-20T11:29:37.690

Reputation: 111

Just saying, like this, but Excel should have much more advanced options such as this. – Ariane – 2013-02-20T12:46:31.930

Do you need to do this ONCE for a lot of data, or on a regular basis. – Robert Ilbrink – 2013-02-21T10:08:30.687

@Nishant Kashyap, There are two people who provided you with an answer. We have not received any feedback from you so far. Please indicate what was helpful or what would be missing. If one of the answers was helpful, then please "Accept" that answer by clicking on the white check-mark to turn it green. Thank you! – Robert Ilbrink – 2013-02-23T09:37:46.030

@Nishant Kashyap, any feedback on what has worked for you? – Robert Ilbrink – 2013-02-28T13:13:32.687

Answers

This will achieve what you are looking for in Word, according to the details you've given. I do not use Open Office, but I would imagine you could do similar.

Create a single column table, above or below the questions, with the appropriate number of rows you need. Then highlight each question and drag it to the row you want it in. You may need to put a carriage return after b)option2 in order to get options c & d below a & b.

enter image description here

CharlieRB

Posted 2013-02-20T11:29:37.690

Reputation: 21 303

If you know how to get the Questions in one column (e.g. add one extra column in A with sequence numbers, sort the data in Column B , split the blocks starting with Question... and the block starting with a. option1, move the a. options block to column C, remove the block with "empty" lines, then re-sort based on the sequence numbers in Column A and remove the first cell in Column C) to allign the questions and answers, then in Column D you add the formula: =B1&CHAR(10)&C1 and copy down, then do a copy/paste special Text (only) in column D to "fix" the formula into text.

One more addition, I overlooked the split of the options into two rows as well. Here you could do the following (again if this needs to be done only once, otherwise you could write a script). Highlight Column C (answers) and replace (Use the: selected area only option) Spacec.Space with $Spacec.Space. Then do a text to columns on Column C, using the $ as a separator. You now have Answers a & b in column C and answers d & d in column D. Then use the formula =B1&CHAR(10)&C1&CHAR(10)&D1 in Column E.

Robert Ilbrink

Posted 2013-02-20T11:29:37.690

Reputation: 1 509