1 Introduction:
Microsoft
Excel, the ever-reliable companion of data enthusiasts, holds a treasure of
functions that can transform dull datasets into insightful analyses. In this
blog post, we will make innovative use of excel MID, IF, LEFT, and FIND
functions through a appealing example. At the end of the blog, downloadable excel
spreadsheet with all data and function is provided.
2 Example Scenario: Categorizing Employees
Based on Unique Department Codes
Imagine
you are an HR manager responsible for managing a team of talented individuals,
each distinguished by a unique department code within their names. Your mission
is to categorize employees into specific departments based on these codes.
However, we introduce an extra twist - we want to identify and extract
employees specifically belonging to the Design "DSG" department.
Buckle up as we navigate through the magic of Excel to achieve this innovative
analysis!
Consider
the following data:
2.1 Extracting
Text: First Name of Employees
To retrieve the first name of an
employee, we employ a powerful combination of Excel functions, namely LEFT and
FIND.
The
formula utilized is as follows: =LEFT(A2, FIND(" ", A2))
By breaking down the formula step by
step, we can comprehend the process in detail. The LEFT function plays a
significant role in this extraction, as it extracts a specified number of
characters from the left side of a text string. In our case, it extracts
characters from cell A2.
However, to determine the exact number
of characters to extract, we need to locate the position of the space that
separates the first name from the last name. This is where the FIND function
comes into play. The FIND function automatically identifies the position of the
space within the text of cell A2.
By combining the LEFT and FIND functions
in this manner, we automate the process of extracting the first name, ensuring
a seamless and efficient approach to data analysis. This innovative technique
streamlines the task of isolating the first name, saving time and effort in
processing employee data.
2.2 Extracting
Department Code
To
extract the Department code from the employee data, we employ a clever formula
combining the MID and FIND functions.
=MID(B2,FIND("-",B2)+1,FIND("-",B2))
Let's
delve into the formula step by step to understand the intricacies involved:
The formula begins with the MID
function, which allows us to extract a specific number of characters from a
text string, starting from a given position. In this case, we want to extract
the department code, which does not begin at the leftmost position of the ID.
The first argument of the MID function
is "B2," representing the cell containing the complete department
code. This ensures that we are extracting the code from the relevant cell.
The second argument of the MID function
is the starting position of the department code. To find this starting
position, we use the FIND function. Specifically, we use
"FIND("-", B2) + 1" as the input to the MID function. The
FIND function locates the position of the hyphen ("-") within the text
of cell B2. Adding "1" ensures that we start extracting characters
after the hyphen, effectively excluding the hyphen itself from the result.
The third argument of the MID function
represents the total number of characters to be taken from the starting
position. In this case, we want to include the complete department code. To
find the total number of characters to take, we again use the FIND function
with "FIND("-", B2)" as the input. This second occurrence
of the FIND function locates the position of the second hyphen ("-")
in the department code, effectively determining the number of characters in the
code.
By cleverly combining the MID and FIND
functions, we achieve an automated and efficient method to extract the
department code from the employee data, even when it does not begin from the
leftmost position. The formula adapts dynamically to the structure of the
department code, saving valuable time and effort in data analysis.
2.3
Extracting Design Department Employees
Finally, to distinguish Design
Department employees, we rely on a straightforward IF function, implemented as
follows:
=IF(D2="DSG",A2,"")
Let's
break down the formula to better understand its functionality:
The IF function is a fundamental
conditional function in Excel. It allows us to test a specific condition and
return different values based on whether the condition is true or false. In
this case, we are checking if the content of cell D2 is equal to "DSG."
The first argument of the IF function is
the condition we are evaluating. Here, we check if the value in cell D2 matches
"DSG." If it does, the condition is considered true.
The second argument of the IF function
specifies the value to return if the condition is true. In our formula, we
enter "A2," which means that if the condition is true (i.e., D2
contains "DSG"), the employee's name from cell A2 will be displayed.
The third argument of the IF function
indicates the value to return if the condition is false. In our formula, we
enter an empty string ("") to signify that if the condition is not
true (i.e., D2 does not contain "DSG"), the cell will be left blank.
By employing this simple IF function, we
can efficiently identify and extract the names of Design Department employees
based on the "DSG" indicator in cell D2. This conditional approach
helps us manage employee data more effectively and presents us with a clear and
concise list of Design Department employees, streamlining the analysis process.
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