How to truncate number/text string in Excel?
In some times, there is a list of strings, which includes some long strings, and for neat and tidy, you may want to truncate the strings into a fixed length as below screenshot shown. Have you any tricks to quickly solve it in Excel?
Truncate strings with Text to Columns
Truncate strings with Kutools for Excel
Truncate strings with formula
For instance, here I just truncate the strings into six digit from left, and below formula can do a favor.
Select a blank cell next to the string you want to truncate, and enter this formula =LEFT(A1,6) (A1 is the string you use, and 6 indicates truncate the string into six characters), then drag fill handle over the cells which also need this formula. See screenshot:
Tip: If you want to truncate string from right side or middle, you can apply below formula：
Truncate into 4 digit from right side: =RIGHT(A1,4)
Truncate into 3 digit from the fourth character: =MID(A1,4,3)
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Truncate strings with Text to Columns
In Excel, you also can apply the Text to Columns function to split string into columns based on fixed width.
1. Select the strings you want to truncate, and click Data > Text to Columns. See screenshot:
2. In the step 1 of the Text to Columns wizard, check Fixed width option. See screenshot:
3. Click Next > to go to the step 2 of the wizard, and go to the Data preview section, click at the position of the string you want to split to create an arrow line. See screenshot:
4. Click Next > to go to the step 3 of the wizard, and specify a cell as the destination for splitting. See screenshot:
5. Click Finish. And the strings have been split by fixed width as you need.
Truncate strings with Kutools for Excel
Actually, if you have Kutools for Excel – a handy tool, you can apply its Remove by Position utility to quickly remove the characters you do not need for truncating the string.
After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as below:（Free Download Kutools for Excel Now!)
1. Select the strings you want to truncate, click Kutools > Text > Remove by Position. See screenshot:
2. In the prompt dialog, enter the number of characters you want to remove in Numbers textbox, and check an option from Position section which decides the position you remove from. See screenshot:
3. Click Ok or Apply, the strings have been truncated as you need.
Demo: Truncate String
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