Excel - How can I count the number of characters on a cell?

Asked By EddieDial80

21-May-07 03:26 AM

I have several hundreds of line items that need to be entered to a web
application that restricts the length of each line to 40 characters. Is there
a way to count the number of characters on a cell so I can automate the
review process for each cell of my spreadsheet with one formula or function
that indicates for each cell the number of characters (with spaces) that it
contains?

I appreciate very much any input

21-May-07 03:33 AM

Hi Eddie

Try
=LEN(A1) to give you the number of characters in a cell

If you want to automatically trim the length of your entries, then in
another column use
=LEFT(A1,MIN(40,LEN(A1)))
and copy down

--
Regards

Roger Govier

21-May-07 07:58 AM

Most cool, Roger......most cool.

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3

21-May-07 11:18 AM

OK, I give up!

What's the advantage over plain 'ol:
=Left(a1,40)
--

Regards,

RD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit !
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Most cool, Roger......most cool.

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3

21-May-07 12:01 PM

I dunno if it's an advantage or not, but one difference is...
if A1= 1.234567, the formula =LEFT(A1,MIN(4,LEN(A1))) returns 1.234567
while the formula =Left(A1,4) returns 1.23

But for most cases, there don't seem to be much difference.....

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3

21-May-07 12:32 PM

That doesn't happen in my book Chuck!<g>
--

Regards,

RD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit !
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I dunno if it's an advantage or not, but one difference is...
if A1= 1.234567, the formula =LEFT(A1,MIN(4,LEN(A1))) returns 1.234567
while the formula =Left(A1,4) returns 1.23

But for most cases, there don't seem to be much difference.....

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3

21-May-07 12:48 PM

Did you notice I changed the 40 to 4 for my examples...........

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3

21-May-07 01:08 PM

Yes, and  =LEFT(A1,MIN(4,LEN(A1))) returns 1.23, not 1.234567, hence RD's
comment.
If you are getting 1.234567 from that formula, what does =MIN(4,LEN(A1))
return?
--
David Biddulph

21-May-07 01:35 PM

Ah-so.........mine mistake...........it must be all these women that keep
coming in here bugging me for "favors"........it just keeps distracting my
concentration...or maybe that was a dream I was having......<G>

Anyway, good catch guys........

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck,  CABGx3

21-May-07 05:50 PM

Hi Rick

Put it down to a senior moment!!!
For some stupid reason, I was thinking that left(a1,40) was going to pad
the value with extra spaces.
Guess I managed to fool Chuck for a few moments (he must have been
sharing that moment with me)<vbg>

Apologies to all
=LEFT(A1,40) wins the day.
--
Regards

Roger Govier

28-May-09 07:08 AM

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