finding the first instance?

[snipescc]

Hi folks. I'm trying to find a way to tell if a cell is the first one to contain a string? I have lots of cells that say "division 1" ect, and I only want thje first one.

 

[machopicho]

Explain better with an example.

 

[Steve=True]

You can find the first instance with a match formula:


=MATCH("division 1",a1:a100,0)

Maybe the real question is what do you want to do with it

Steve=True
www.exceldashboardtemplates.com

 

[mikerickson]

To test if A9 is the first cell in A:A to contain the value that it contains

=(ROW(A9)=MATCH(A9, A:A,0))

To test if A9 is the first cell in A:A to contains a given value

=(ROW(A9)=MATCH("given value", A:A,0))

 

[snipescc]

Thank you very much!