Question

Using regular expressions to remove characters from a cell

Asked by: profess

Hi

Cell A1 has text " **1.0  " I want to use this regular expression \*\*\d.\d to remove the **1.0 is there a function that will allow me to do that.

Something like =removematch(A1,\*\*\d.\d)

Thanks you.

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Asked On
2005-09-28 at 14:19:09ID21577659
Tags

regular

,

expression

Topics

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Software

,

Microsoft Programming

,

Regular Expressions

Participating Experts
2
Points
250
Comments
8

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Answers

 

by: matthewspatrickPosted on 2005-09-28 at 14:53:05ID: 14979490

Try this:


Function RemoveMatch(LookIn, PatternStr)
   
    Dim re As Object
   
    Set re = CreateObject("VBScript.RegExp")
    With re
        .Pattern = PatternStr
        .Global = True
    End With
   
    RemoveMatch = re.Replace(LookIn, "")
   
    Set re = Nothing
   
End Function


Patrick

 

by: matthewspatrickPosted on 2005-09-28 at 14:54:17ID: 14979496

Better:


Function RemoveMatch(LookIn, PatternStr, Optional ReplaceWith = "")
   
    Dim re As Object
   
    Set re = CreateObject("VBScript.RegExp")
    With re
        .Pattern = PatternStr
        .Global = True
    End With
   
    RemoveMatch = re.Replace(LookIn, ReplaceWith)
   
    Set re = Nothing
   
End Function

 

by: matthewspatrickPosted on 2005-09-28 at 14:56:20ID: 14979510

Usage:

=RemoveMatch(A1,"\*\*\d.\d")      replaces with empty string
=RemoveMatch(A1,B1)      replaces with empty string; takes pattern from B1
=RemoveMatch(A1,"\*\*\d.\d","blah")      replaces with blah

 

by: brettdjPosted on 2005-09-28 at 21:56:27ID: 14981002

hi guys

the . is a single character wild card that should be precede with \

a pattern that removes
1 to x *  .... 1 to x digits ... dot 1 to x digits is
=RemoveMatch(A1,"\*+\d+\.\d+")

which leaves a single blank character on your test string

Cheers

Dave

 

by: matthewspatrickPosted on 2005-09-29 at 08:00:42ID: 14984424

Dave,

Thanks for the comment on the pattern string.  Still getting the hang of it :)

Regardless of how to build the pattern string, though, the UDF is doing the right thing, right?

Wondering when the RegExp Posse would show up,

Patrick

 

by: brettdjPosted on 2005-09-30 at 04:21:00ID: 14991087

Hi Patrick,

Works fine :)

Although the
 .Global = True
is redundant if only a one -off replacement is needed

Dave

 

by: professPosted on 2005-09-30 at 05:22:22ID: 14991359

Hi,

I must be doing something wrong I keep getting the name? error. Its been a long time since I have used VBA. I should be able to just copy the function in the VBA editor for the sheet I am working on right?

Galen

 

by: matthewspatrickPosted on 2005-09-30 at 05:25:29ID: 14991377

Galen,

No, for functions to be available in the Excel UI they have to be in a regular module, not an object module.

Patrick

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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