Resolved: Concatenate vs &
I think I asked a similar question about other Excel features in another lesson but I have to ask, what is the difference between 'Concatenate' and '&'? They both appear to join separate text strings in the same cell so why does Excel have multiple functions that produce the same output? That seems unnecessary. What reason would an Excel user have to choose one instead of the other?
Hi Dylan,
Good to hear from you!
There is absolutely no difference between the two (I think CONCATENATE is a legacy function but not sure). I personally use '&' all the time.
Best,
Ned
The only difference between them may be the number of strings you can combine. Microsoft Support states that the you can join a maximum of 255 strings together using 'CONCATENATE', but doesn't state a limit for the ampersand (&). Some sites suggest there is no limit to the ampersand. I considered testing it out, but I'm just going to keep watching the course. If I ever need to join more than 255 strings I'll use the ampersand and then I'll know.
Microsoft Support also states that CONCAT has replaced CONCATENATE, and that while CONCATENATE remains available as a legacy for now, it may not continue to be available in future editions of Excel.