How do you truncate a text string?

[dailygluttony]

Hello,

I was wondering if there's a function that allows me to chop characters of a fixed length off of text strings of varying lengths. For example, if I have the following strings:

12345-ABC
123456-DEF

I want to be able to cut off the "-ABC" or the "-DEF" and be left with

12345
123456

Normally, I would simply use an =LEFT to capture the part I need, but since the part before the dash is of varying lengths, I'm not sure how to do this. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[jeffstew1]

Try This:

=LEFT(A1,FIND("-",A1,1)-1) where A1 is your text.

"dailygluttony" wrote:

>
> Hello,
>
> I was wondering if there's a function that allows me to chop characters
> of a fixed length off of text strings of varying lengths. For example,
> if I have the following strings:
>
> 12345-ABC
> 123456-DEF
>
> I want to be able to cut off the "-ABC" or the "-DEF" and be left with
>
> 12345
> 123456
>
> Normally, I would simply use an =LEFT to capture the part I need, but
> since the part before the dash is of varying lengths, I'm not sure how
> to do this. Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
>
>
> --
> dailygluttony
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> dailygluttony's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=32907
> View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=527259
>
>

[Peo Sjoblom]

Data > text to columns, select delimited, click next, select - as other
delimiter click next select the right column and check do not import (skip)
under column data format. That way you can do a whole column in one fell
swoop


--

Regards,

Peo Sjoblom



"dailygluttony" <dailygluttony.25e7sy_1143571503.8005@excelforum-nospam.com>
wrote in message
news:dailygluttony.25e7sy_1143571503.8005@excelforum-nospam.com...
>
> Hello,
>
> I was wondering if there's a function that allows me to chop characters
> of a fixed length off of text strings of varying lengths. For example,
> if I have the following strings:
>
> 12345-ABC
> 123456-DEF
>
> I want to be able to cut off the "-ABC" or the "-DEF" and be left with
>
> 12345
> 123456
>
> Normally, I would simply use an =LEFT to capture the part I need, but
> since the part before the dash is of varying lengths, I'm not sure how
> to do this. Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
>
>
> --
> dailygluttony
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> dailygluttony's Profile:
> http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=32907
> View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=527259
>