How to extract data with specific text?

In this article, we will learn How to extract data with specific text?

How to perform text operations in Excel ?

Text operation is used when we need to find some specific text data. For example, we need to find the separate first name, middle name and last name from the full name. This is done using the space separation on string values or text values. String operation are different from numerical values. So Excel also treats them differently.

String or Text formula in Excel

To search a string from a specific substring, we will use the ISNUMBER function along with the FIND function.

ISNUMBER function is used to check if the value in the cell contains a number or not.

Syntax of ISNUMBER:

=ISNUMBER (value)

FIND function returns the location number of the character at which a specific character or text string is first found, reading left to right (case-sensitive).

Syntax of Find:

=FIND(find_text,within_text,[start_num])

Example :

All of these might be confusing to understand. Let's understand how to use the function using an example.

Here we have two columns. Substring in Column B and Given string in Column A.

Write the formula in C2 cell

Formula:

=ISNUMBER(FIND(B2,A2))

Explanation:

Find function takes the substring from the B2 cell of Column B and it then matches it with the given string in the A2 cell of Column A.

ISNUMBER checks if the string matches, it returns True else it returns False.

Copy the formula in other cells, select the cells taking the first cell where the formula is already applied, use shortcut key Ctrl+ D.

As you can see the output in column C shows True and False representing whether substring is there or not.

Alternate formula

There will be times when you would want to check if cell contains a specific text or not. We can do this by combining two functions, ISNUMBER and SEARCH or FIND function. Lets see some examples.

Find Specific Text - Case Insensitive

We need an incentive function. A function that doesn’t care about upper or lowercase of alphabets. We will employ SEARCH function. He is cool about any case.

Generic Formula for Checking if cell contains Substring

=ISNUMBER(SEARCH(“specific text”,”source text”)

In excel 2016, I have this list of strings.

Now I want to know if any cell contains substring “Excel” (case insensitive). If yes then print TRUE else FALSE.

I write this formula in Cell D2 and drag it down:

=ISNUMBER(SEARCH(C2,B2))

We get all TRUE as each cell contains “Excel” or “excel” substring. Now lets see how to check for case sensitive cases.

Find Specific Text - Case Sensitive

We need a touchy function. The function that really sensitive about upper and lower cases and does not tolerate changes. FIND function is that touchy member of excel’s function family.

Generic Formula for Checking if cell contains substring

=ISNUMBER(FIND(“specific text”,”source text”)

I want to know if any cell contains “Excel” not “excel”. It should print TRUE if and only if it finds “Excel”.

I write this formula in Cell D2 and drag it down:

=ISNUMBER(FIND(C2,B2))

In cell D2 and D3 you can see it return FALSE because B2 and B3 does not contains substring “excel”. IN cell D4 we are looking for “Excel” and which is found in String in Cell B4. Hence we have TRUE.

Explanation:

SEARCH and FIND both return location of found substring. If they found the given text then they return a number (first location of found text) else they return #VALUE! error.

ISNUMBER checks if supplied value is a number or not. If its a number it returns TRUE else FALSE.

If FIND or SEARCH find the specific text in cell, ISNUMBER returns TRUE else FALSE.

Using this result you can show customised out put using IF statement.

Excel formula if cell contains text then return value in another cell

=IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH(“specific text”,”source text”),print value if true, print value if false)

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