Using Question Marks as Wildcards

[EdStockton]

I have been attempting to use wildcards and it seems to work with in sumif functions but not in if functions.

45	10efs22
25	22wqa11
310	22azx11
64	22qaz11
264	11efs34
94	66efs99
294	11efs55
612	11ert66
981	99ijk00
62	77yhn66
64	22ert66
97	66yhn44
65	44rfv55
44	33ert11
3021	Total
=sumif(b1:b14,"??efs??",a1:a14)	697
=if(b1="??efs??",A1,0)	0

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In column A I am showing the formula in a sumif statement which worked and provided a correct response. Under that, I show the IF Function I used that did not work.

What have I done wrong in the IF Function? Is there some other way I could achieve the desired result. I want that IF Function to return the amount shown in Cell A1 - 45.

Thank you, Ed Stockton

 

[Aladin Akyurek]

That's right. Try rather something like:

=IF(B1=LEFT(B1,2)&"EFS"&RIGHT(B1,2),A1,0)

 

[EdStockton]

Thank you, Aladin. Does that mean that wildcards cannot be used in an IF Function?

 

[Aladin Akyurek]

Thank you, Aladin.

You are welcome.

Does that mean that wildcards cannot be used in an IF Function?

Yes. Just text-matching functions can use wildcards.

 

[EdStockton]

Thank you, Aladin. If Microsoft would just come right out and say that, things would be easier.

 

[Jonmo1]

If Microsoft would just come right out and say that, things would be easier.

So not only does Microsoft need to tell us what it CAN do, but it also must tell us everything it CANNOT do ??