"Ron Rosenfeld" wrote:

On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 05:57:13 -0700, "RestlessAde"
wrote:

Hi,

I have tried to solve this problem using a mixture of text functions such as
RIGHT, LEN, LEFT, FIND etc. However, am still stuck. Would appreciate any
suggestions.

I'm trying to split out the following data stored in a single column into
three columns: Country, Data Value and Source.

Angola 13,294,000 Source: ibid.
Anguilla 13,000 Source: ibid.
Antigua and Barbuda 76,000 Source: ibid.
Argentina 37,880,000 Source: ibid.
Armenia 3,206,000 Source: ibid.
Aruba 94,000 Source: ibid.
Australia 20,125,000 Source: ibid.

The problem I'm having relates to the fact that some countries contain more
than one word, so I can't just search for the first " ". I think the answer
is to somehow detect the first instance of a numeric value, but I have no
idea how to do this.

Thanks,
RA

Array formulas will do this. The first two are array formulas; the last is
not. To enter an array formula, be sure to hold down <ctrl<shift while
hitting <enter. Excel will place braces {...} around the formula.

Assuming data is in A2.

Country (array formula):

=LEFT(A2,-1+MATCH(FALSE,ISERROR(-MID(A2,ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A2))),1)),0))

Data Value (array formula):

=MID(A2,MATCH(FALSE,ISERROR(-MID(A2,ROW(
INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A2))),1)),0),-1+FIND("Source",A2)
-MATCH(FALSE,ISERROR(-MID(A2,ROW(
INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A2))),1)),0))

Source (NOT an array formula)

=MID(A3,FIND("Source: ",A3)+8,255)


--ron



Ron (or anyone else for that matter),

The first array formula cited above has solved a very major headach I've
been working on all day as it can be modified to give the position of the
first number in a mixed string of numbers and letters and for that you
deserve major kudos!

However I hate not knowing how it is achieved! Can you explain in plain
english how this is working?

I guess this may help me get my head around a few other thorny issues I have
pending and it may just help out a few others here too

Thanks in advance

R.Douthwaite