Conditional Data Parsing...

[GGK]

I need to set up a formula to grab partial data from a cell at a fixed startpoint and end point.

EXAMPLE:

<IGNORE="DONOTUSE_DONOTUSE_DONOTUSE;DK=[DONOTUSE];>
<BYPASS>language='ignoreall'Because="ThisisBADdataThisisBADdata;stuff=10x20;DR=[BadStuff];PEP=[Cherry]">
<PASS="PASSPASSPASS;ONE=2;TWO=3;OK=20x10;BS=[HUH};UCONN=[NOW]?">
NEED="NEEDTHIS_NEEDTHISNOW_THISISIT;butignorealltherestofthis;worthless=[dontneed]"
<PLEASE>
<HELPME>

If i paste the above text into a cell... how can I get the BOLD DATA ONLY, into another cell. (so its all data between NEED=" and the ; is put into the new cell?

Thanks!

Thanks,
GGK

 

[crook_101]

Hi,

Is it always a fixed number of characters that you are trying to parse??

Ian

 

[GGK]

Hi,

Is it always a fixed number of characters that you are trying to parse??

Ian

Hey Ian,

Nope... the data that i need to extract will always be a variable amount...However, the starting and endpoints will have fixed structures (kind of)

In the above example... i will always need to grab ALL data between NEED=" COPY COPY COPY ;

(so all data starting AFTER the " and then stopping right before the ; )

Does that help/make sense?

 

[Kelbo]

This might not be an elegant solution, but could give you ideas!

Assuming that your data is in cell A3

try:-
=MID(A3,SEARCH("need=",A3)+6,SEARCH(";",A3,SEARCH("need=",A3))-SEARCH("need=",A3)-6)

Kelbo

 

[GGK]

This might not be an elegant solution, but could give you ideas!

Assuming that your data is in cell A3

try:-
=MID(A3,SEARCH("need=",A3)+6,SEARCH(";",A3,SEARCH("need=",A3))-SEARCH("need=",A3)-6)

Kelbo

That worked... Almost.. until i came up with a situation where there was a constant that had a space in between.

Example:

I NEED="this is the data that; needs to be cut;PLEASE=Im almost there!>>

Here... i need at the data from==>> I NEED=" ALL INCLUSIVE ;PLEASE


THANKS!

 

[Rick Rothstein]

Give this formula a try...

=MID(LEFT(A1,FIND(";",A1)-1),SEARCH("NEED=""",A1)+6,LEN(A1))

 

[GGK]

GOT IT!!! had to adjust the integers..

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!

 

[GGK]

Give this formula a try...

=MID(LEFT(A1,FIND(";",A1)-1),SEARCH("NEED=""",A1)+6,LEN(A1))

Thanks... i'm curious.. if is it possible to put an "OR" function part of the formula... for example... can it extract all data from NEED= all the way to a ";" OR ":" .... whichever comes first..

Thanks,
GGK

 

[GGK]

This might not be an elegant solution, but could give you ideas!

Assuming that your data is in cell A3

try:-
=MID(A3,SEARCH("need=",A3)+6,SEARCH(";",A3,SEARCH("need=",A3))-SEARCH("need=",A3)-6)

Kelbo

I should probably address this question to Kelbo (to give him credit for the use of his solution)

But...

i'm curious.. if is it possible to put an "OR" function as part of the formula... for example... can it extract all data from NEED= all the way to a ";" OR ":" .... whichever comes first..

Thanks,
GGK

 

[Jerry Sullivan]

It's not pretty, but I believe this would work....

=MID(A3,SEARCH("need=",A3)+6,MIN(SEARCH(";",MID(A3,SEARCH("need=",A3)+6,255)),SEARCH(":",MID(A3,SEARCH("need=",A3)+6,255)))-1)

It uses MIN instead of OR to evaluate to the first instance of : or ;