TOCOL in WPS Spreadsheet: Flatten a Grid with Explicit Row Scanning
Flatten a WPS text grid into one column with explicit TOCOL row scanning and blank handling. Trace the output order cell by cell.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =TOCOL(A1:C2,3,0) reads a text grid across each row and returns the values in one column. With the genuinely empty cells used here, mode 3 omits the blanks.
Syntax and arguments
=TOCOL(array,[ignore],[scan_by_column])
array is the required input rectangle; the tooltip brackets ignore and scan_by_column as optional. This recipe supplies both: ignore=3 and scan_by_column=0. At 48s those exact arguments appear in a completed formula. The video menu labels FALSE as row scan and TRUE as column scan. Omitted defaults are unnecessary for this guide.
Example: a small reproducible fixture
Enter A1:C2 as A | B | C, D | E | (empty). Leave C2 genuinely empty, rather than typing the explanatory marker. Reserve E1:E5 and enter =TOCOL(A1:C2,3,0). Expected vertical output is A, B, C, D, E. Traversal is A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, C2; the blank is omitted.
Additional example: flatten incomplete rows
Enter A5:C7 as R1 | S1 | T1, R2 | S2 | (empty), R3 | (empty) | (empty). In E7 use =TOCOL(A5:C7,3,0) with E7:E12 clear. Expected values are R1, S1, T1, R2, S2, R3. This tests three unequal populated row lengths while keeping the rectangular source and explicit scan settings.
What the official demonstration establishes
The source A1:D7 contains A–Z across four columns, followed by two empty cells. At 48s the video shows the completed =TOCOL(A1:D7,3,0) and output starting A, B, C, D, E. At 58.464s the video later shows column-first output. This guide explains the explicit row-scan formula above; it does not provide a column-scan recipe.
Troubleshooting and limits
The menu exposes modes 0, 1, 2 and 3; only 3 is used in this example. The video has blanks but no error-valued inputs, so it does not exercise mode 3 error filtering. Empty-string formulas and whitespace are not substitutes for genuinely empty cells.
If the function is not recognized, confirm its availability in the intended WPS installation before changing the formula or substituting a similarly named function. For array outputs, enter the formula in an unused area and reserve the stated output rectangle. Exact blocked-output errors are not established here.
Availability and verification
The official WPS TOCOL lesson shows a Chinese-language WPS spreadsheet interface. The review on October 19, 2026 did not establish a numeric build, exact edition, operating system, license requirement or introduction date. Historical demonstration does not prove present support across desktop, web and mobile editions.
The examples above have independently checked expected results. They have not been executed in an installed WPS build.
Related functions
References
The timestamps refer to the linked WPS video. Behavior beyond the examples, including support in your installed version, should be checked before production use.