I am doing a catalog merge in publisher. Data is in XL. Publisher has 255
character limit on merged info. How do I count the characters before I
execute the merge?

Use the LEN (Length) function:

=LEN(A1)


--
Biff
Microsoft Excel MVP


"msloell" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:6DDA4AFE-EB44-4D34-AAC7-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I am doing a catalog merge in publisher. Data is in XL. Publisher has 255
> character limit on merged info. How do I count the characters before I
> execute the merge?

Hi Biff!
using the =len(a1) works fine unless the cell is empty/blank; it returns count of 1 for blank cell--how do I account for these? I assume it would be an if statement of some kind??



T. Valko wrote:

Re: How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
31-Aug-08

Use the LEN (Length) function

=LEN(A1

-
Bif
Microsoft Excel MVP

Previous Posts In This Thread:

On Sunday, August 31, 2008 4:19 PM
msloel wrote:

How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
I am doing a catalog merge in publisher. Data is in XL. Publisher has 25
character limit on merged info. How do I count the characters before
execute the merge?

On Sunday, August 31, 2008 4:26 PM
T. Valko wrote:

Re: How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
Use the LEN (Length) function

=LEN(A1

-
Bif
Microsoft Excel MVP

EggHeadCafe - Software Developer Portal of Choice
ADO.NET 3.5 Cookbook by Bill Hamilton [O'Reilly]
http://www.eggheadcafe.com/tutorials...book-by-b.aspx

Your cell isn't empty.

Try selecting that cell and hitting the delete key on the keyboard.

What happens to that =len() formula?

If it stays 1, then maybe you have calculation set to manual.
Tools|Options|calculation tab is where you'd change it in xl2003 menus.

My guess is that you have some white space character (space bar or HTML
non-breaking space????) in that cell.



matt, hinkle wrote:
>
> Hi Biff!
> using the =len(a1) works fine unless the cell is empty/blank; it returns count of 1 for blank cell--how do I account for these? I assume it would be an if statement of some kind??
>
> T. Valko wrote:
>
> Re: How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
> 31-Aug-08
>
> Use the LEN (Length) function:
>
> =LEN(A1)
>
> --
> Biff
> Microsoft Excel MVP
>
> Previous Posts In This Thread:
>
> On Sunday, August 31, 2008 4:19 PM
> msloel wrote:
>
> How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
> I am doing a catalog merge in publisher. Data is in XL. Publisher has 255
> character limit on merged info. How do I count the characters before I
> execute the merge?
>
> On Sunday, August 31, 2008 4:26 PM
> T. Valko wrote:
>
> Re: How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
> Use the LEN (Length) function:
>
> =LEN(A1)
>
> --
> Biff
> Microsoft Excel MVP
>
> EggHeadCafe - Software Developer Portal of Choice
> ADO.NET 3.5 Cookbook by Bill Hamilton [O'Reilly]
> http://www.eggheadcafe.com/tutorials...book-by-b.aspx

--

Dave Peterson

How did you know his name was Matt, David?

Pete

On Oct 21, 11:32*pm, "David Biddulph" <groups [at] biddulph.org.uk>
wrote:
> Wrong, Matt! *LEN does not return 1 for an empty or blank cell.
> For either a completely empty cell or a cell with the empty string ="",LEN
> returns zero.
> If you are seeing a LEN of 1, you do not have a blank or empty cell; *you
> have a character in there.
> You can see which character with =CODE(A1). *If it returns 32, you have a
> space, if it returns 160, you have a non-breaking space.
> --
> David Biddulph
>
>
>
> matt hinkle wrote:
> > Hi Biff!
> > using the =len(a1) works fine unless the cell is empty/blank; it
> > returns count of 1 for blank cell--how do I account for these? I
> > assume it would be an if statement of some kind??
>
> > T. Valko wrote:
>
> > Re: How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
> > 31-Aug-08
>
> > Use the LEN (Length) function:
>
> > =LEN(A1)
>
> > --
> > Biff
> > Microsoft Excel MVP
>
> > Previous Posts In This Thread:
>
> > On Sunday, August 31, 2008 4:19 PM
> > msloel wrote:
>
> > How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
> > I am doing a catalog merge in publisher. Data is in XL. Publisher has
> > 255
> > character limit on merged info. How do I count the characters before I
> > execute the merge?
>
> > On Sunday, August 31, 2008 4:26 PM
> > T. Valko wrote:
>
> > Re: How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
> > Use the LEN (Length) function:
>
> > =LEN(A1)- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

> using the =len(a1) works fine unless the cell is empty/blank;
> .. it returns count of 1 for blank cell

The result should be zero, not 1
You probably have an invisible white space which is causing the error
Try usingTRIM: =LEN(TRIM(A1))
--
Max
Singapore
http://savefile.com/projects/236895
Downloads:27,000 Files:200 Subscribers:70
xdemechanik
---

"Pete_UK" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> How did you know his name was Matt, David?

In Google Groups, click on Hide Options to see the From header record.

"Visitor" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> "Pete_UK" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> How did you know his name was Matt, David?
>
> In Google Groups, click on Hide Options to see the From header record.

I meant More Options. It changes to Hide Options after you click on More
Options.

Maybe from the post that matt hinkle authored?

>> matt hinkle wrote:
>> > Hi Biff!
>> > using the =len(a1) works fine unless the cell is empty/blank; it
>> > returns count of 1 for blank cell--how do I account for these? I
>> > assume it would be an if statement of some kind??


Gord

On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:56:17 -0700 (PDT), Pete_UK <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>How did you know his name was Matt, David?
>
>Pete
>
>On Oct 21, 11:32*pm, "David Biddulph" <groups [at] biddulph.org.uk>
>wrote:
>> Wrong, Matt! *LEN does not return 1 for an empty or blank cell.
>> For either a completely empty cell or a cell with the empty string ="", LEN
>> returns zero.
>> If you are seeing a LEN of 1, you do not have a blank or empty cell; *you
>> have a character in there.
>> You can see which character with =CODE(A1). *If it returns 32, you have a
>> space, if it returns 160, you have a non-breaking space.
>> --
>> David Biddulph
>>
>>
>>
>> matt hinkle wrote:
>> > Hi Biff!
>> > using the =len(a1) works fine unless the cell is empty/blank; it
>> > returns count of 1 for blank cell--how do I account for these? I
>> > assume it would be an if statement of some kind??
>>
>> > T. Valko wrote:
>>
>> > Re: How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
>> > 31-Aug-08
>>
>> > Use the LEN (Length) function:
>>
>> > =LEN(A1)
>>
>> > --
>> > Biff
>> > Microsoft Excel MVP
>>
>> > Previous Posts In This Thread:
>>
>> > On Sunday, August 31, 2008 4:19 PM
>> > msloel wrote:
>>
>> > How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
>> > I am doing a catalog merge in publisher. Data is in XL. Publisher has
>> > 255
>> > character limit on merged info. How do I count the characters before I
>> > execute the merge?
>>
>> > On Sunday, August 31, 2008 4:26 PM
>> > T. Valko wrote:
>>
>> > Re: How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
>> > Use the LEN (Length) function:
>>
>> > =LEN(A1)- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -

Of course !!

All I saw was "- Show quoted text -" after your post, and I didn't
think to expand it.

Thanks to all for setting me right <sheepish grin>

Pete

On Oct 22, 12:24*am, "David Biddulph" <groups [at] biddulph.org.uk>
wrote:
> Well, Pete, I was working from the part that said: "matt hinkle wrote:"
> --
> David Biddulph
>
>
>
> Pete_UK wrote:
> > How did you know his name was Matt, David?
>
> > Pete
>
> > On Oct 21, 11:32 pm, "David Biddulph" <groups [at] biddulph.org.uk>
> > wrote:
> >> Wrong, Matt! LEN does not return 1 for an empty or blank cell.
> >> For either a completely empty cell or a cell with the empty string
> >> ="", LEN returns zero.
> >> If you are seeing a LEN of 1, you do not have a blank or empty cell;
> >> you have a character in there.
> >> You can see which character with =CODE(A1). If it returns 32, you
> >> have a space, if it returns 160, you have a non-breaking space.
> >> --
> >> David Biddulph
>
> >> matt hinkle wrote:
> >>> Hi Biff!
> >>> using the =len(a1) works fine unless the cell is empty/blank; it
> >>> returns count of 1 for blank cell--how do I account for these? I
> >>> assume it would be an if statement of some kind??
>
> >>> T. Valko wrote:
>
> >>> Re: How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
> >>> 31-Aug-08
>
> >>> Use the LEN (Length) function:
>
> >>> =LEN(A1)
>
> >>> --
> >>> Biff
> >>> Microsoft Excel MVP
>
> >>> Previous Posts In This Thread:
>
> >>> On Sunday, August 31, 2008 4:19 PM
> >>> msloel wrote:
>
> >>> How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
> >>> I am doing a catalog merge in publisher. Data is in XL. Publisher
> >>> has 255
> >>> character limit on merged info. How do I count the characters
> >>> before I execute the merge?
>
> >>> On Sunday, August 31, 2008 4:26 PM
> >>> T. Valko wrote:
>
> >>> Re: How to count number of characters in xl cell for publisher merge
> >>> Use the LEN (Length) function:
>
> >>> =LEN(A1)- Hide quoted text -
>
> >> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -