Returning left part of cell before a character

[Alan]

I have a text file report that is not customizable. I import that into
Excel. There is a field where relevant data ends after the colon
character ":". Can someone help me with a formula I can put in column C
that evaluates the corresponding cell in column B and brings back all
text to the left of the colon mark?


Examples:
Column B

freddy: 45345 sldf
jeff: 45422 fdflh
sam: bfd4454

In this case I want to return the characters to the left of the colon:
freddy
jeff
sam

Thanks in Advance!
Alan

 

[Guest]

Hi there,

You can use the formula

=MID(B1,1,FIND(":",B1)-1)

This will bring back all the text before the colon.

Hope that helps.

Naz,
London

 

[Gord Dibben]

Alan

Data>Text to Columns>Delimited by other. Enter a colon. Next.

Select the right-hand column and "do not import column". Finish.


Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[Myrna Larson]

For a formula

=LEFT(B2,FIND(":",B2)-1)

Could also use SEARCH instead of FIND. See Help for the differences (which
aren't relevant here).

 

[Ron Rosenfeld]

I have a text file report that is not customizable. I import that into
Excel. There is a field where relevant data ends after the colon
character ":". Can someone help me with a formula I can put in column C
that evaluates the corresponding cell in column B and brings back all
text to the left of the colon mark?


Examples:
Column B

freddy: 45345 sldf
jeff: 45422 fdflh
sam: bfd4454

In this case I want to return the characters to the left of the colon:
freddy
jeff
sam

Thanks in Advance!
Alan

Assuming the fields are in columns, you can use the Data/Text to Columns wizard
and use the colon as the delimiter. (Select Other and type in a colon : in the
box next to it).


--ron

 

[Aladin Akyurek]

In case you have to apply a formula...

=TRIM(LEFT(A2,SEARCH(":",A2&" :")-1))

which would handle entries with no colon and empty cells in A.