View Single Post
  #2   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.misc
Bob Phillips
 
Posts: n/a
Default Find character when the length varies

=LEFT(A2,FIND("-",A2,FIND("-",A2)+1)-1)

--
HTH

Bob Phillips

(remove nothere from email address if mailing direct)

"Rookie_User" wrote in message
...
I have a worksheet where I am trying to get the first part of a string

inside
a cell. See data:

ColumnA ColumnB (wanted result)
001-1- 001-1
001-10- 001-10
001-12- 001-12
001-85.98.8- 001-85.98.8

In ColA I have a dash that gives the first part (project) then the second
part can either be a task code (numeric digit) or a part number. In

either
case I need the entire string upto the second dash. I was using a formula

of
=Mid(a1,5) in ColB, but that of course doesn't do it. Any suggestions, and

it
should be located within one column, its hard to use multiple columns to

get
the answer. Then I would have used LEN() to count to second dash, etc..

It
all needs to be in one column.