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How to extract file extension from worksheet?

Author Xiaoyang Last modified

If you have a column of file names which including file extensions, and now, you would like to get only the file extensions from the cells for some purpose. To extract them one by one manually will be too tiresome, today, I will introduce you some easy tricks to complete it.

Extract file extension from worksheet with formula

Extract file extension from worksheet with User Defined Function


Extract file extension from worksheet with formula

To extract the file extensions from the cells, the following formula can do you a favor.

1. Enter this formula:

=REPLACE(RIGHT(A2,5),1,SEARCH(".",RIGHT(A2,5)),"") into a blank cell besides your data. See screenshot:

a screenshot showing how to use the formula

2. Then drag the fill handle over to the range that you want to contains this formula, and all the file extensions have been extracted from the cells, see screenshot:

a screenshot showing the final results


Extract file extension from worksheet with User Defined Function

Another way also can help you to finish this job, to make a User Defined Function.

1. Hold down the ALT + F11 keys, and it opens the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. Click Insert > Module, and paste the following code in the Module Window.

VBA code: Extract file extensions from worksheet

Function FileExt(FileName As String) As String
'Update 20141111
    On Error Resume Next
    If InStrRev(FileName, ".") > 0 Then FileExt = Right(FileName, Len(FileName) - InStrRev(FileName, "."))
    If Err <> 0 Then MsgBox Err.Description, vbCritical, "Kutools for Excel"
End Function

3. Then save and close this code, return to the worksheet, and enter this formula =FileExt(A2) into a blank cell next to your data, see screenshot:

a screenshot of using the user-defined function

4. And then drag the fill handle over to the range that you want to contains this formula, and all the file extensions have been extracted from column A, see screenshot:

a screenshot of the final results after applying the user-defined function

Tip: In the above formulas, A2 indicates the cell you want to extract extension from.


Related articles:

How to return filename without extension to cell?

How to quickly extract filename from full path in Excel?


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