IF ELSE filter to trim end of string and show specific character in string

[danaz]

Hi,

I have a column of filenames and would like to

1) produce a corresponding column with a varying number of characters trimmed from the end given a specific rule
2) produce another column showing a specific character in the filename on the condition that the character appears

Examples of filenames
longexample1+D.pdf
shortexample2.pdf
example3+A.pdf
longexample4+B.pdf
reallylongexample5.pdf

In one column i want the filenames to be reduced by either 4 or 6 characters from the right depending upon if they end '.pdf' or '+X.pdf'
longexample1
shortexample2
example3
longexample4
reallylongexample5

In another column i would like the character immediately following the '+' to appear. If there is no '+', then nothing should be returned. This would look like
D

A
B


The filenames will always be of varying length but the final 4 characters will always be '.pdf. and if a '+' appears the final 6 digits will always be '+X.pdf' with X being variable.

Have tried using search, find, if-else formulas but can't seem to merge them correctly to get the desired results. Am using excel 2003.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thankyou.

[Rebuild8]

if the first filename is in A2, paste this in B2

=IF(ISERROR(FIND("+",A2)),LEFT(A2,LEN(A2)-4),LEFT(A2,LEN(A2)-6))

and this in C2

=IF(ISERROR(FIND("+",A2)),"",MID(A2,FIND("+",A2)+1,1))

[Marcol]

Try this

Copy & PasteSpecial > Values to finalise

[danaz]

Thankyou Rebuild8 and Marcol - both those solutions worked perfectly. They will save me hundreds of hours and headaches!