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Flag bad entries in Excel with TRIM, LEN and EXACT

These supplier codes were typed by hand. A good code is 3 capital letters, a hyphen and 3 digits: 7 characters. Don't fix the codes, mark them, so someone can check each one. In B2:B11, show TRUE if the code has extra spaces: at the start, at the end, or two in a row. In C2:C11, TRUE if it isn't exactly 7 characters long. In D2:D11, TRUE if it has small letters. FALSE everywhere else.

TRIM(A2) is the code without its extra spaces, so A2<>TRIM(A2) is TRUE when it had some. LEN(A2) counts the characters, spaces included. Careful with capitals: in Excel, = and <> ignore them. EXACT(A2, UPPER(A2)) doesn't.

43 Flag the bad entries TRIM, LEN, EXACT Core

suppliers.xlsx
Ready

Click a cell while typing to insert it, drag to select a range, F4 adds $, Esc cancels.

Tap a cell while writing a formula to insert it, or slide across cells for a range. The strip above the keyboard has = ( ) : , $.

The TRIM, LEN, EXACT guide

Before you clean a column, find out what is wrong with it. Three tests cover most typed codes: A2<>TRIM(A2) for extra spaces, LEN(A2)<>7 for the wrong length, and NOT(EXACT(A2, UPPER(A2))) for small letters. Each returns TRUE for an entry that breaks the rule.

CoreAbout 3 minutesBy Updated

Mark first, fix later

A test that says "list the entries that break the rules" wants to see the bad rows, not a cleaned column. The same goes for a colleague who has to go back to the supplier and ask. A TRUE/FALSE column per rule does both: you can filter on it, count it with COUNTIF, and the original data stays as it was.

Extra spaces

TRIM(A2) is the text without spaces at the ends and with double spaces cut to one. If the cell is different from its trimmed version, it had extra spaces:

=A2<>TRIM(A2)

=LEN(A2)<>LEN(TRIM(A2)) gives the same answer. Neither finds a single space between words, because TRIM leaves those alone.

The wrong length

LEN(A2) counts every character, spaces included. A code that should be 7 long is wrong if it is longer or shorter, so test with <>:

=LEN(A2)<>7

>7 misses the short ones.

Capitals: why = doesn't work

Excel compares text without looking at capitals. ="brk-311"="BRK-311" is TRUE, so =A2<>UPPER(A2) is FALSE for every code, even the ones in small letters. EXACT compares character by character, capitals included:

=NOT(EXACT(A2, UPPER(A2)))

EXACT returns TRUE when the two are the same, so NOT turns it into "TRUE when something is in small letters". COUNTIF, MATCH, VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP ignore capitals too.

Then what?

The cleaning side is in the TRIM challenge.

FAQ

How do I check if a cell has extra spaces in Excel?
Compare it with its trimmed version: =A2<>TRIM(A2) returns TRUE when there are spaces at the ends or two in a row.
Is Excel text comparison case-sensitive?
No. ="abc"="ABC" is TRUE, and COUNTIF, MATCH and the lookups ignore capitals too. Use EXACT to compare with capitals.
How do I find cells with lowercase letters in Excel?
Use =NOT(EXACT(A2,UPPER(A2))). It is TRUE when the cell is different from its all-capitals version.
How do I check the length of a cell?
LEN(A2) returns the number of characters, spaces included. =LEN(A2)<>7 is TRUE when the cell isn't exactly 7 long.

All challenges

  1. 01Starter, 3 min Add it upSUM
  2. 02Starter, 3 min Find the averageAVERAGE
  3. 03Starter, 3 min Smallest and largestMIN, MAX
  4. 04Starter, 3 min Count what's thereCOUNT, COUNTA, COUNTBLANK
  5. 05Starter, 3 min Write once, fill downRelative references
  6. 06Core, 3 min Lock it with $Absolute references
  7. 07Starter, 3 min Percent of a totalPercentages
  8. 08Starter, 3 min Make the numbers readableNumber formats
  9. 09Core, 3 min Up or down by how much?Percent change
  10. 10Core, 3 min What you see vs what's storedROUND
  11. 11Core, 3 min The typical valueMEDIAN
  12. 12Core, 3 min Select to the end in one moveCtrl + Shift + arrow
  13. 13Starter, 3 min Sort without breaking rowsSort
  14. 14Starter, 3 min Filter to what mattersFilter
  15. 15Starter, 3 min Copy and paste a formulaCtrl+C, Ctrl+V
  16. 16Core, 3 min Paste values onlyPaste Special → Values
  17. 17Core, 3 min Highlight what's over targetConditional formatting
  18. 18Core, 3 min Spot the duplicatesDuplicate Values rule
  19. 19Core, 3 min Pass or fail?IF
  20. 20Core, 3 min Both or either?AND, OR
  21. 21Core, 3 min Exactly one of the twoXOR
  22. 22Core, 3 min Grade bands with nested IFNested IF
  23. 23Core, 3 min Count the ones that matchCOUNTIF
  24. 24Core, 3 min Add up the ones that matchSUMIF
  25. 25Core, 3 min Use a cell as the conditionCriteria in a cell
  26. 26Core, 3 min Partial matches with * and ?SUMIF, COUNTIF with wildcards
  27. 27Core, 3 min Count with two conditionsCOUNTIFS
  28. 28Core, 3 min Add up with two conditionsSUMIFS
  29. 29Core, 3 min Look it upVLOOKUP
  30. 30Core, 3 min Find the right bracketVLOOKUP approximate match
  31. 31Core, 3 min XLOOKUP, the modern wayXLOOKUP
  32. 32Core, 3 min Where is it in the list?MATCH
  33. 33Advanced, 3 min INDEX and MATCH togetherINDEX + MATCH
  34. 34Advanced, 3 min Lock just the row or the columnMixed references
  35. 35Advanced, 3 min Growth per year (CAGR)CAGR with ^
  36. 36Core, 3 min Use a rate from another sheetReferences to other sheets
  37. 37Core, 3 min Catch the error, not the bugIFERROR
  38. 38Core, 3 min Which invoices are missing?Compare two lists
  39. 39Core, 3 min Reconcile the ledger with the bankXLOOKUP or VLOOKUP + IFNA
  40. 40Core, 3 min Join text together&, CONCAT, PROPER
  41. 41Core, 3 min Split first and last namesLEFT, MID + FIND
  42. 42Core, 3 min Stray spaces that break a countTRIM
  43. 43Core, 3 min Flag the bad entriesTRIM, LEN, EXACT
  44. 44Advanced, 3 min Clean a bank descriptionTEXTBEFORE, TEXTAFTER, PROPER
  45. 45Core, 3 min Mistake hunt: #N/A everywhereFixing #N/A
  46. 46Core, 3 min Mistake hunt: hard-coded numbersReferences instead of typed numbers
  47. 47Core, 3 min Mistake hunt: numbers stored as textNumbers stored as text
  48. 48Core, 3 min One of each, then the totalsUNIQUE
  49. 49Core, 3 min Your first pivot tablePivot tables
  50. 50Advanced, 3 min Which category went up most?SUMIFS, change, lookup
  51. 51Core, 3 min How many days late?Date arithmetic
  52. 52Core, 3 min Turn text into real datesDATEVALUE
  53. 53Advanced, 3 min Month ends and working daysEOMONTH, NETWORKDAYS
  54. 54Core, 3 min Renewal datesEDATE
  55. 55Core, 3 min Days overdue and aging bandsDate difference, aging bands
  56. 56Core, 3 min How many late orders?Pick the tool
  57. 57Core, 3 min Sales per repPick the tool
  58. 58Core, 3 min Whose part is it?Pick the tool
  59. 59Core, 3 min Who gets the bonus?Pick the tool
  60. 60Core, 3 min Each region's sharePick the tool
  61. 61Advanced, 3 min Case: the supplier reportCase, five steps
  62. 62Advanced, 3 min Case: the monthly budgetCase, five steps
  63. 63Advanced, 3 min Case: the reorder listCase, five steps

The whole course, in order.

The challenges teach one move each. The course puts them in order and makes you do each one twice, the second time on data you haven't seen.

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