Concatenate path and filename recursively - excel

Question

I have an output exported to Excel which lists paths and filenames.
The paths and filenames are on separate rows however. If the path is consistent the filename is simply listed on the next row. Then the next path is on the next line followed by filenames ect.
C:\
file1.doc
C:\Windows\
file2.doc
file3.doc
file4.doc
C:\Windows\Folder\
file5.doc
I need to concatenate all the paths with the filenames. All paths begin with c:\ (or other drive letters which can be defined). For the example above the following output is required:
C:\file1.doc
C:\Windows\file2.doc
C:\Windows\file3.doc
C:\Windows\file4.doc
C:\Windows\Folder\file2.doc
Happy to have white spaces as these can be filtered out in Excel.
Thanks,
Jono

Answer 1

VBA approach:
Sub test()
Dim ws As Worksheet
Dim iRow As Long
Dim i As Integer
Dim strFirstValue, strScndValue, strNewValue, strValue As String
Dim startFlag, endFlag As Boolean
Set ws = Sheets(1)
iRow = ws.Range("A1048576").End(xlUp).Row
strFirstValue = ws.Range("A2:A2")
strFirstValue = "": strScndValue = ""
startFlag = False
strFirstValue = ws.Range("A2:A2")
For i = 2 To iRow 'Assuming you have header, otherwise change 2 to 1
If endFlag Then
strFirstValue = ws.Range("A" & i & ":A" & i)
End If
strValue = strFirstValue
strScndValue = ws.Range("A" & i + 1 & ":A" & i + 1)
If InStr(strValue, ":") > 0 Then
startFlag = True
If Not strScndValue = "" Then
If Not InStr(strScndValue, ":") > 0 Then
strNewValue = strFirstValue & strScndValue
ws.Range("B" & i + 1 & ":B" & i + 1) = strNewValue
endFlag = False
Else
endFlag = True
End If
End If
End If
Next i
'To remove the row with drive info
For i = 2 To iRow
strValue = ws.Range("B" & i & ":B" & i)
If strValue = "" Then
ws.Range("B" & i & ":B" & i).EntireRow.Delete
End If
Next i
Set ws = Nothing
End Sub
Before:
After:

Answer 2

With data in column A, this macro will put the results in column B:
Sub dural()
Dim s As String, J As Long, r As Range
J = 1
For Each r In Intersect(ActiveSheet.UsedRange, Range("A:A"))
s = r.Text
If s = "" Then Exit Sub
If Right(s, 1) = "\" Then
pref = s
Else
Cells(J, 2).Value = pref & s
J = J + 1
End If
Next r
End Sub

Answer 3

Non-VBA solution, which will require some helper columns:
Assuming your data is in column A, and you don't care about sorting the results / having blanks within the results:
Put this in cell B2 and copy down [I recommend you have a header row for row 1]
=if(mid(A2,2,2)=":/",A2,B1)
This puts the new file path in column B, and if it's not a new file path (doesn't start with "x:/"), it takes the file path from column the previous cell.
In cell C2, copied down:
=if(mid(A2,2,2)=":/","",B2&A2)
This checks if the line you're on is a file path or a file name. If it's a file name, it adds the file name to the file path and displays as a single string. If it's a filepath, it returns a blank.
Alternatively you could save a tiny bit of processing time by using columns B-D instead of B-C. Some calculation is wasted here because we are doing the same check ("does cell A2 include ':/'?") twice, so excel needs to calculate it twice. Like so:
Put this in Cell B2:
=mid(a2,2,2)=":/"
Returns TRUE if the cell in column A is a filepath; returns FALSE if the cell in column A is a filename. Then put this in cell C2 and copy down:
=if(B2,A2,B1)
Works same as above, but uses the test already defined in cell B2. Put this in cell D2 and copy down:
=if(B2,"",B2&A2)
If you do want to sort your results column, there's just 2 extra steps (this is kind of unnecessary, but if you want to present / print your data in some format, you will need to either do this or manually copy + paste values):
Add an extra column to the right of the final column from my above response. Here, you want to check to see whether your current row is a new filepath + filename, or if it is blank (meaning column A was a filepath). I will assume you used my second option above, using columns B-D.
In column E, starting at E2 and copied down:
=if(B2,B1,B1+1)
If B2 is TRUE, the row is a filepath, and doesn't create a new filename + filepath. Therefore, we can keep the last counter. Otherwise, add a new counter.
In column F, starting at F2 and copied down:
=if(row()-1>max(E:E),"",index(D:D,match(row()-1,E:E,0)))
This looks at your results column, column D, which is unsorted and contains blanks. If the current row number in column F (minus 1 for the header row) is no bigger than the biggest counter in column D, it returns the matching item for that row number from column D.
Hope this helps you in similar situations in the future.