Restricted characters to a cell

**lust.fish** · 08-12-2009, 09:05 AM

I'm creating a CSV file in 2007 for a till database. The system I'm loading into only allows 56 characters as a product description but my suppliers descriptions have up to 99. Is there any way I can use a formula to remove the extra characters from the cell to another cell if it contains more than 56? I thought the IF rule may do it but can't find anything in the help files that relates specifically to the number of characters in a cell. Any help would be great & would save me huge amounts of time.

**shg** · 08-12-2009, 09:34 AM

If you want the leftmost 56, use the LEFT function,e.g., =LEFT(A1, 56); if the rightmost, then use the RIGHT function. If something else, ...

**ChemistB** · 08-12-2009, 10:32 AM

In your second cell (e.g. shg's formula in B1, this formula in C1)

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Does that work for you?

**DonkeyOte** · 08-12-2009, 10:38 AM

You could also perhaps think about applying TextToColumns on this Column setting Fixed Width of 56 (ensure adjacent column is blank before doing so of course), the excess will spill into next Column.