Find last instance of character in text

K

KonaAl

Hi All,

I need to be able to return an account number (7 digits) from a text string.
The account number is preceded by a colon. I'm very familiar with find,
left, len, right functions, etc. My problem is the there can be several
colons in the string and the position changes. For example:

Text 1
1000000 · Cash & Cash Equivalents:1010000 · Cash Accounts:1012000 ·
IBT:1012600 · IBT Cash {WF}

Text 2
1000000 · Cash & Cash Equivalents:1010000 · Cash Accounts:1013000 · IBT - B
of A

What I need is 1012600 from the first string and 1013000 from the second.

I can't figure out how to obtain the position of the last colon in the string.

TIA,

Allan
 
J

JMB

One way

=MAX((MID(A1,ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A1))),1)=":")*(ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A1)))))

entered using Cntrl+Shift+Enter or you will get 0 or 1.
 
K

KonaAl

Thanks for the reply, JMB. Assuming the "1:" s/b ":1", I couldn't get this
to work. I tried changing the A1 references to C6, for example, and still
got a #REF! error. Both times I entered as an array.

Even after looking at the help files for ROW and INDIRECT, I can't figure
this out. Your help is appreciated.

Allan
 
J

JMB

Just change the cell references from A1 to C6.

KonaAl said:
Thanks for the reply, JMB. Assuming the "1:" s/b ":1", I couldn't get this
to work. I tried changing the A1 references to C6, for example, and still
got a #REF! error. Both times I entered as an array.

Even after looking at the help files for ROW and INDIRECT, I can't figure
this out. Your help is appreciated.

Allan
Click to expand...
 
D

daddylonglegs

This will give you the position of the last colon in C6

=LOOKUP(2^15,FIND(":",C6,ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(C6)))))

therefore to get the 7 digits following:

=MID(C6,LOOKUP(2^15,FIND(":",C6,ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(C6)))))+1,7)

neither needs to be "array entered"
 
K

KonaAl

Wow! That worked great. I have no idea what the row(indirect... means but
it worked. Thanks a lot!

Allan
 
T

T. Valko

You need to add 1. It picks up the ":".

=MID(A1,MAX((MID(A1,ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A1))),1)=":")*(ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A1)))))+1,7)

Another way: (normally entered)

=MID(A1,FIND("~",SUBSTITUTE(A1,":","~",LEN(A1)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A1,":",""))))+1,7)

Biff
 
K

KonaAl

Applause to you as well, daddylonglegs! Thanks a bunch -- I'm going to have
to study yours and JMB's formula!

Thanks a bunch.

Allan
 
J

JMB

But it was only supposed to pick up the ":", the OP said he was already
familiar w/the text functions and just needed to find the last character
position.

Nice suggestion for a non-array solution.
 
T

T. Valko

Oh, OK. It does that.

Biff

JMB said:
But it was only supposed to pick up the ":", the OP said he was already
familiar w/the text functions and just needed to find the last character
position.

Nice suggestion for a non-array solution.
Click to expand...
 
J

JMB

It returns an array of 1 through whatever the length of A1 is, so if Len(A1)
= 7, the Row(Indirect("1:"&Len(A1))) returns an array of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Mid(A1, Row(Indirect("1:"&Len(A1))), 1) = ":"
evaluates each character of A1 and returns True/False (True for characters
that =":"). Excel stores True as 1 and False as 0. So this array of 1's and
0's is multiplied by the Row(Indirect.....) to get an array of 0's and
nonzero numbers (the nonzeros being the character positions of the ":"'s).
Then the Max function is used on this array to return the character position
of the last ":"

Generally, array formulae take longer to calculate, so you should consider
that before using it. After playing around a little out of curiosity, Biff's
suggestion seems to be about 5.5 times faster than the my suggestion and
twice as fast as daddylonglegs.
 
J

JMB

Just not as quickly as yours does <g>

Out of curiosity, if you don't mind, why the name change?
 
T

T. Valko

It's more "professional". My goal is to become a MVP. I don't think "Biff"
would get much consideration.

Biff
 
R

Roger Govier

Biff

The quality and quantity of your postings, positively "ooze"
professionalism regardless of the "handle" that you use.

The same would apply to others those using just their forename like Max
or others with interesting "handles" such as Daddylonglegs or Teethless
mama ( to use but a few of the participants who regularly provide
quality answers).

For my part, I only use my full name as I am too boring to have another
"handle" - perhaps I should change to
"theartfuldodger"

I wish you well in your quest.
 
P

Pete_UK

Or the Welsh Dragon ... <bg>

Good luck, Biff - you would have my vote if I had one.

Pete
 
J

JMay

There's also (code):

From immediate window:

Set temp = Range("B3") ' Your Text 1 say in cell B3
ans = InstrRev(temp,":",,1)
? mid(temp,ans+1,7)
1012600
 
R

Ron Rosenfeld

Hi All,

I need to be able to return an account number (7 digits) from a text string.
The account number is preceded by a colon. I'm very familiar with find,
left, len, right functions, etc. My problem is the there can be several
colons in the string and the position changes. For example:

Text 1
1000000 · Cash & Cash Equivalents:1010000 · Cash Accounts:1012000 ·
IBT:1012600 · IBT Cash {WF}

Text 2
1000000 · Cash & Cash Equivalents:1010000 · Cash Accounts:1013000 · IBT - B
of A

What I need is 1012600 from the first string and 1013000 from the second.

I can't figure out how to obtain the position of the last colon in the string.

TIA,

Allan
Click to expand...

In addition to other solutions, you could download and install Longre's free
morefunc.xll add-in from http://xcell05.free.fr which will give you a host of
useful functions.

You could then use the Regular Expression:

=REGEX.MID(A1,"(?<=:)\d+",-1)


--ron
 
R

Roger Govier

Hi Pete
Or the Welsh Dragon ... <bg>
Click to expand...
No, don't think I could use that one now. I don't breathe fire any
longer!!
The fire in the belly was extinguished long ago - probably doused by too
much beer<bg>

--
Regards

Roger Govier


Or the Welsh Dragon ... <bg>

Good luck, Biff - you would have my vote if I had one.

Pete
 

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