Assuming your data is in A1, try something like in B1:

=IF(LEN(A165),LEFT(A1,65),A1)

In order to extract characters 66 and on, you need a helper column, in C:C,
which is =LEN(A1) If LEN(A1)=100, then =RIGHT(A1,35) will extract the 35
right-most characters. Put =RIGHT(A1,35) into D1.

An awkward process but it will work.

Perhaps someone has a more elegant solution.

Dave

--
Brevity is the soul of wit.


"Nat1" wrote:

Hi,
I'm looking for a way to limit the number of characters in a string of text
to 65 within a cell, so that characters than this move to the next
row(cell) in a column. This is so the data passes validation on import to an
oracle database. I have tried the text to columns wizard but that moves the
data to the next column. I have also tried =left function and validation to
no avail.

Any help would be greatly appreciated