What are Text Functions? #
Text functions help you:
- Combine text
- Extract parts of text
- Clean messy data
Example:
Convert " Alex " → "Alex"
CONCAT Function #
Definition #
Used to join (combine) multiple text values into one.
Syntax #
=CONCAT(text1, text2, ...)
Example #
Dataset: #
| First Name | Last Name |
|---|---|
| Alex | John |
Formula: #
=CONCAT(A2, " ", B2)
Output: Alex John
Notes #
" "adds space between words- Replaces old function
CONCATENATE
LEFT Function #
Definition #
Extracts characters from the left side of text.
Syntax #
=LEFT(text, num_chars)
Example #
| Code |
|---|
| AB1234 |
=LEFT(A2, 2)
Output: AB
Use Case #
- Extract country codes
- Extract prefixes
RIGHT Function #
Definition #
Extracts characters from the right side of text.
Syntax #
=RIGHT(text, num_chars)
Example
=RIGHT(A2, 4)
Output: 1234
Use Case #
- Extract ID numbers
- Extract last digits
TRIM Function #
Definition #
Removes extra spaces from text (except single spaces between words).
Syntax #
=TRIM(text)
Example #
| Raw Text |
|---|
| ” Alex John “ |
=TRIM(A2)
Output: Alex John
Why Important? #
Extra spaces can break:
- Lookups
- Filters
- Analysis
Combined Example (Real Scenario) #
Dataset: #
| A (First) | B (Last) |
|---|---|
| ” Alex “ | ” John “ |
Clean + Combine: #
=CONCAT(TRIM(A2), " ", TRIM(B2))
Output: Alex John
Practical Use Case #
Product Code: PK-2025-001 #
- Extract country:
=LEFT(A2, 2)
Extract ID:
=RIGHT(A2, 3)
Table #
| Function | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| CONCAT | Combine text | =CONCAT(A1,B1) |
| LEFT | Extract from left | =LEFT(A1,2) |
| RIGHT | Extract from right | =RIGHT(A1,3) |
| TRIM | Remove extra spaces | =TRIM(A1) |
- CONCAT → Combine text
- LEFT/RIGHT → Extract parts of text
- TRIM → Clean messy spaces
These are essential for data cleaning and preprocessing in Excel
