Comments on: Using Excel text functions to work with analysis codes – part 1 http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/ Helping accountants and fellow professionals turn the IT millstone into a surfboard Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:31:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: kevinh http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-291 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:23:24 +0000 http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-291 You are awesome. Thank you very much!

]]> By: simontkb http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-290 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:05:50 +0000 http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-290 Hi Kevin – the text format can use the sections of a normal custom number format, so section 2 will define the format of a negative number. The sections are separated by a semi-colon, so I think the following should do what you want:

=”Total for 2009 = “& TEXT(A1, “$#,##0.0;-$#,##0.0″)

Kind regards

Simon

]]> By: kevinh http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-289 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:39:58 +0000 http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-289 Simon,
I hope this is an easier question. I have concatenated in a cell and am using the TEXT() formula to format the number. The number can be positive or negative dollars. Is there a way to format it to show the negative dollars appropriately?

Specifically:
=”Total for 2009 = “&text(A1, “$#,##0.0)

This only works for positive dollars. When it’s negative it looks like this:
$-570.1

I’m hoping it will format like this:
-$570.1

Thank you in advance – your knowledge is amazing.

Best regards,
Kevin

]]> By: simontkb http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-285 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:07:10 +0000 http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-285 Hi John – I think I’d need to understand better what you’re trying to achieve to know whether or not you’re going about it the right way. Contact details at http://www.tkb.co.uk if you want to get in touch directly.

]]> By: John http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-284 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:45:38 +0000 http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-284 Hello and thanks for your quick reply.

There were a couple of reasons I wanted to do this.

One was for a simple addition of numbers within one cell. Eg A simple addition is displayed in Cell A1 and is shown as 1+2+3 (no “=” sign so it is not a calculated formula). I was hoping for a simple function that would then allow me to use those characters in cell A1 (including the mathematical operators), to make the calculation in Cell B1 (as if the only thing needed in cell B1 to make the calculation was the “=” sign).

I know I could have made the calculation and received a result in B1, by typing in cell B1 =1+2+3. I could have then had Excel automatically display the formula in A1. However, I wanted it to work the other way around. Probably because I’m just awkward.

The other reason was to try and to cut down on the lengths of formulas on one sheet. The SUMIFS formula is repeated down several rows with only the criteria changing. Your example could cut it down a bit more for me by grouping my sum ranges into another indirect function. I think I’m moving beyond my limited abilities doing that though, as my data ranges already contain an INDIRECT function.

At the moment I am already using the INDIRECT function to create my data range. Eg to get a data range of Stairs!H8:H60 I am using the following within my SUMIFS formula.

Stairs!H8:INDIRECT(“Stairs!”&”H”&M2)

The cell M2 refers to a variable row number and in this example I am using 60.

I have 3 or 4 data range instances of that, within each SUMIFS formula, except the “H” column reference has other letters for the different criteria ranges.

Unfortunately I can’t just type this into a cell and have the INDIRECT function use the data to construct the cell reference I need.

Maybe I’m just going about it all the wrong way.

]]> By: simontkb http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-283 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:14:44 +0000 http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-283 Hi John, the INDIRECT() function (as described in detail here: http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/28/excel-indirect-function-save-hours/ ) will allow you to construct a cell reference out of text held in other cells, but I don’t think it would let you construct the whole SUMIFS() function in the way you say. You could enter the cell references into cells say:
C1 D1:D9
C2 A1:A9
C3 B1:B9
C4: mouse
C5: clogs

=SUMIFS(INDIRECT(C1),INDIRECT(C2),C4,INDIRECT(C3),C5)

I haven’t quite worked out why you are trying to construct the SUMIFS() formula in this way – no doubt you have your reasons!

]]> By: John http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-282 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:48:39 +0000 http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-282 Is it possible to type parts of a formula in one or more cells (without including the = sign), then bring them together for a calculation in another cell?
Eg. To get a final formula in cell C4 is it possible to join the characters from three other cells together (the three other cells do not start with the = sign so Excel doesn’t know it’s a formula)
Eg. In cell C1the characters are typed SUMIFS(D1:D9,A1:A9,
In cell C2 the characters are typed “Mouse”,
In cell C3 the characters are typed B1:B9,”Clogs”)
Can these all be joined in cell C4 so that cell C4 reads =SUMIFS(D1:D9,A1:A9,”Mouse”,B1:B9,”Clogs”)

]]> By: simontkb http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-219 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:06:13 +0000 http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-219 Hi Sharon

It depends on how consistent the cell contents are, if each cell contained the same number of letters, then you could just use =Left(a1,11) for example. If there were different numbers of characters but there was always the ‘Total’ bit at the end. You could use something like =left(a1,len(a1)-6). Or if Total couldn’t appear anywhere but at the end: =substitute(a1,” Total”,”") – be careful because substitute is case-sensitive.

I hope one of theses helps

Kind regards

Simon

]]> By: Sharon http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-218 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:37:58 +0000 http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-218 Dear all, i wonder who could help me with a difficult formula .

cel A1 contains = AIR TPT MMC Total
i want to return in another cell “AIR TPT MMC”
so withtout the word “Total”.

What formula can i use?

brgds
Sharon

]]> By: simontkb http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-213 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 09:24:22 +0000 http://beancountersguide.co.uk/2007/04/14/using-excel-text-functions-to-work-with-analyis-codes-part-1/#comment-213 Pleasure – glad to be of help

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