limit characters returned a cell reference

[Lila]

I have a column that has several lines of text in it. Each row of text has a
soft return (Alt-Enter) to force certain text to go to the next line.

Now I want to do a cell reference that only shows the text on the first row.
I found the "Right", "Left" and "Mid" function, but those seem to only be
able to limit by the number of characters and the number of characters in
the first row of text varies greatly from cell to cell.

I thought I could combine the "Search" or "Find" function to look for the
soft return, return the position of the return and place it in the "Left"
function, but I can not figure out how to search for the soft return.

Any suggestions?

 

[Dave Peterson]

look for char(10) in your =search() or =find().

I have a column that has several lines of text in it. Each row of text has a
soft return (Alt-Enter) to force certain text to go to the next line.

Now I want to do a cell reference that only shows the text on the first row.
I found the "Right", "Left" and "Mid" function, but those seem to only be
able to limit by the number of characters and the number of characters in
the first row of text varies greatly from cell to cell.

I thought I could combine the "Search" or "Find" function to look for the
soft return, return the position of the return and place it in the "Left"
function, but I can not figure out how to search for the soft return.

Any suggestions?

 

[Lila]

Oh wait... I answered my own question. I just placed an actual soft return
in quotes in the Search function. It looks a bit odd, but it works!

=LEFT($E5,(SEARCH("
",E5)))

Now I just have to figure out if there is a way to nest it in an "index" and
"match" formula.

 

[Lila]

Is char(10) the code for the soft return?

look for char(10) in your =search() or =find().

 

[Lila]

It must be... because it works the great... and it looks better too.

=LEFT($E5,(SEARCH(CHAR(10),E5)))

Is char(10) the code for the soft return?

look for char(10) in your =search() or =find().

first

 

[Dave Peterson]

It's the same as alt-enter or linefeed, yep.

Is char(10) the code for the soft return?

 

[Dave Peterson]

You could use another cell to hold that value. And then use that cell in the
larger formula.

I use that technique when I build longer formulas.

Then if I used a helper cell (say A2) in my formula, I'll steal the formula for
A2 in the formula bar (don't include the = sign and maybe add ()'s around it).

Then select the cell with my "real" formula.

Everywhere I see A2, I'll replace with my copied formula.

I think John Walkenbach describes the same approach when building what he calls
Monster Formulas (in a couple of his books).

 

[Lila]

Yep, that's what I did. I made one column that had the Left, Search
function, then another that had the Index, Match formula. I just like to
limit the amount of "dummy" data laying around (i.e. the column that has the
Left, Search function) because it looks so untidy... and so that people who
don't know what's going on will not accidentally delete it and ruin
everything.

In this workbook I actually have a sheet for all of the "functions" or stray
data like this, but because of the way the Index, Match formula works,
having the Left, Search function on a different sheet wouldn't work.

Of course that leads to "locking" etc. The problem with that is that this is
an inventory where people need to be able to add information to the bottom
of the spreadsheet so they need to "copy" the row and "paste" it so that all
of the formulas etc go with it and when the sheet is locked... it won't
allow copy and paste. Unless I'm missing something???

Lila

 

[Dave Peterson]

Maybe you could provide a macro that would unprotect the worksheet, do the
insert (and copy over formulas), then reprotect the worksheet.

David McRitchie has some code to insert rows and copy formulas at:
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/insrtrow.htm
look for: InsertRowsAndFillFormulas

If you're new to macros, you may want to read David McRitchie's intro at:
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/getstarted.htm