Return the largest letter in an array

[shinobi]

Hi

Anybody know how I can return the largest letter from an array of letters? e.g. if the array is "A,B,C,D,H,K,L,O,P", the value returned would be P. Kind of like a MAX function, but for letters instead of numbers.

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Domenic]

Are these letters in one cell, or are they in separate cells?

 

[shinobi]

The array will be seperate cells.

Thanks

 

[Domenic]

Assuming that A2:A10 contains the data, try...

=LOOKUP(2,1/(COUNTIF(A2:A10,">"&A2:A10)=0),A2:A10)

Hope this helps!

 

[Fin Fang Foom]

Hi Domenic,


How can it work in a string say in cell A1? I tried the EVALUATE Function but it did not work.

=EVALUATE("{"&SUBSTITUTE(Sheet1!$A$1,",",",")&"}")

 

[Exceljeanie]

Hi,
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:10pt; background-color:#ffffff; padding-left:2pt; padding-right:2pt; "> <colgroup><col style="font-weight:bold; width:30px; " /><col style="width:64px;" /><col style="width:85px;" /></colgroup><tr style="background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; font-size:8pt; "><td > </td><td >A</td><td >B</td></tr><tr style="height:17px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >1</td><td >A</td><td >Z</td></tr><tr style="height:17px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >2</td><td >B</td><td > </td></tr><tr style="height:17px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >3</td><td >Z</td><td > </td></tr><tr style="height:17px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >4</td><td >P</td><td > </td></tr></table>
<table style="font-family:Arial; font-size:10pt; border-style: groove ;border-color:#00ff00;background-color:#fffcf9; color:#000000; "><tr><td >Spreadsheet Formulas</td></tr><tr><td ><table border = "1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="font-family:Arial; font-size:9pt;"><tr style="background-color:#cacaca; font-size:10pt;"><td >Cell</td><td >Formula</td></tr><tr><td >B1</td><td >{=CHAR(MAX<span style=' color:008000; '>(CODE<span style=' color:#0000ff; '>(A1:A4)</span>)</span>)}</td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td ><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt; font-weight:bold;'>Formula Array:</span><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt;'>
Enclosing </span><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt; font-weight:bold;'>{ }</span><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt;'> not to key
Enter formula with CTRL+SHIFT+RETURN !</span></td></tr></table>

 

[Exceljeanie]

Hi,
and for a single cell:

<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:10pt; background-color:#ffffff; padding-left:2pt; padding-right:2pt; "> <colgroup><col style="font-weight:bold; width:30px; " /><col style="width:64px;" /><col style="width:241px;" /></colgroup><tr style="background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; font-size:8pt; "><td > </td><td >A</td><td >B</td></tr><tr style="height:17px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >1</td><td >ABCPB</td><td >P</td></tr></table>
<table style="font-family:Arial; font-size:10pt; border-style: groove ;border-color:#00ff00;background-color:#fffcf9; color:#000000; "><tr><td >Spreadsheet Formulas</td></tr><tr><td ><table border = "1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="font-family:Arial; font-size:9pt;"><tr style="background-color:#cacaca; font-size:10pt;"><td >Cell</td><td >Formula</td></tr><tr><td >B1</td><td >{=CHAR(MAX<span style=' color:008000; '>(CODE<span style=' color:#0000ff; '>(MID<span style=' color:#ff0000; '>(A1,ROW<span style=' color:#804000; '>(INDIRECT<span style=' color:#ff7837; '>("1:"&LEN<span style=' color:#8000ff; '>(A1)</span>)</span>)</span>,1)</span>)</span>)</span>)}</td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td ><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt; font-weight:bold;'>Formula Array:</span><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt;'>
Enclosing </span><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt; font-weight:bold;'>{ }</span><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt;'> not to key
Enter formula with CTRL+SHIFT+RETURN !</span></td></tr></table>

 

[Fin Fang Foom]

Hi,
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:10pt; background-color:#ffffff; padding-left:2pt; padding-right:2pt; "> <colgroup><col style="font-weight:bold; width:30px; " /><col style="width:64px;" /><col style="width:85px;" /></colgroup><tr style="background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; font-size:8pt; "><td > </td><td >A</td><td >B</td></tr><tr style="height:17px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >1</td><td >A</td><td >Z</td></tr><tr style="height:17px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >2</td><td >B</td><td > </td></tr><tr style="height:17px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >3</td><td >Z</td><td > </td></tr><tr style="height:17px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >4</td><td >P</td><td > </td></tr></table>
<table style="font-family:Arial; font-size:10pt; border-style: groove ;border-color:#00ff00;background-color:#fffcf9; color:#000000; "><tr><td >Spreadsheet Formulas</td></tr><tr><td ><table border = "1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="font-family:Arial; font-size:9pt;"><tr style="background-color:#cacaca; font-size:10pt;"><td >Cell</td><td >Formula</td></tr><tr><td >B1</td><td >{=CHAR(MAX<span style=' color:008000; '>(CODE<span style=' color:#0000ff; '>(A1:A4)</span>)</span>)}</td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td ><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt; font-weight:bold;'>Formula Array:</span><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt;'>
Enclosing </span><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt; font-weight:bold;'>{ }</span><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt;'> not to key
Enter formula with CTRL+SHIFT+RETURN !</span></td></tr></table>

Your first formula works. Along with

=EVALUATE("{"&SUBSTITUTE('Sheet1'!$A$1,",",",")&"}")

Thank you very much.

But say I have names in one cell containg:

Fred,Ben,Karla,Zack,David

What do I use to retieve Zack from the string because he's has the largest letter?

 

[Exceljeanie]

Hi,

But say I have names in one cell containg:

Fred,Ben,Karla,Zack,David

What do I use to retieve Zack from the string because he's has the largest letter?

I would use VBA

 

[Fin Fang Foom]

Ok I figured it out. Thank you everyone!

=INDEX(Array,MATCH(MAX(CODE(UPPER(Array))),CODE(UPPER(Array)),0))

In the Define name area:

Array:

=EVALUATE("{"""&SUBSTITUTE('Sheet1'!$A$1,",",""",""")&"""}")