Are you struggling to keep track of all the data in your LibreOffice Calc spreadsheets? Do you need a way to quickly and easily find specific cells containing specific text? If so, you're in luck!
In this tutorial, we'll show you how to use the SEARCH and FIND functions in LibreOffice Calc to check if a cell contains specific text. These functions are incredibly powerful and can be used to solve a wide variety of problems.
Part 1: Two functions in LibreOffice Calc : “SEARCH” and “FIND”
The SEARCH and FIND functions in LibreOffice Calc are used to find the position of a text string within another text string. The main difference between the two functions is that the SEARCH function is not case-sensitive, while the FIND function is case-sensitive.
1. SEARCH Function:
The SEARCH function has the following syntax:
SEARCH(“find_text”,”text”, [start_position])
● find_text: The text string to search for.
● text: The text string to search within.
● start_position: (optional) The position in the text string where the search should start. If omitted, the search will start at the beginning of the text string.
The SEARCH function returns the position of the first occurrence of the find_text string within the text string. If the find_text string is not found within the text string, the SEARCH function returns the value #VALUE!.
2. FIND Function:
The FIND function has the following syntax:
FIND(“find_text”,”text”, [start_position])
The FIND function works the same as the SEARCH function, except that it is case-sensitive. This means that the find_text string and the text string must match exactly in order for the FIND function to return a value.
Uses of SEARCH and FIND functions
The SEARCH and FIND functions can be used to solve a wide variety of problems in LibreOffice Calc. For example, you could use these functions to:
● Find all the cells in a spreadsheet that contain a specific customer name
● Identify all the rows that contain a specific product code
● Highlight all the cells that contain a specific keyword
● Create formulas that perform conditional formatting based on the contents of a cell
● Automate tasks such as data entry and data validation
The SEARCH and FIND functions are essential tools for anyone who uses LibreOffice Calc on a regular basis. By learning how to use these functions, you can save time and improve your efficiency.
Part 2: Steps to check if cell contains specific text in LibreOffice Calc
There are two ways to check if a cell contains specific text in LibreOffice Calc:
Method 1: Use “SEARCH” Function(Not Case Sensitive)
Example 1:
This example will help you understand more about “SEARCH” function
To do this, please follow these steps:
Step 1: Open the data you want to search
Step 2: Select the cell where you want to enter the formula.
Step 3: Type the following formula into the cell:
=SEARCH(“find_text”,”text”)
In the picture below, we want to search the “Apple” in this sentence so we will type the syntax like this
Step 4: Press Enter.
And that's how we use the “SEARCH” function, so easy and convenient. But we still have another situation.
Example 2:
If we use the “SEARCH” function to search the substring but don’t have it in the text, then how? Let’s check it.
Step 1: Open the data you want to search
Step 2: Select the cell where you want to enter the formula.
Step 3: Type the following formula into the cell:
=SEARCH(“find_text”,”text”)
In this time, we will search “watermelon” in the text as you can see in the picture below
Step 4: Press Enter
This formula returns the value #VALUE!, because the text string "Apple and Grape." does not contain the string "Watermelon".
Method 2: Use “FIND” Function(Case Sensitive)
The FIND function works the same as the SEARCH function, except that it is case-sensitive. This means that the find_text string and the text string must match exactly in order for the FIND function to return a value.
To use the FIND function to check if a cell contains specific text, follow the same steps as outlined above for the SEARCH function, but use the FIND function instead.
Example 1:
Step 1: Open the data you want to search
Step 2: Select the cell where you want to enter the formula.
Step 3: Type and choose the cell follow the syntax below:
FIND(“find_text”,”text”, [start_position])
The good thing I like about this “FIND” function is that we don’t need to type the text like the “SEARCH” function, we just need to choose the cell
Step 4: Press Enter
This formula returns the value 1, because the first occurrence of the string "Apple" in the text string "Apple" is at position 1.
So how about the difference between “Find” and “Search” ? Let’s go through the Example 2
Example 2:
Step 1: Open the data you want to search
Step 2: Select the cell where you want to enter the formula.
Step 3: Type and choose the cell follow the syntax below:
FIND(“find_text”,”text”, [start_position])
Step 4: Press Enter
In this text 7 and 8, this formula returns the value #VALUE!, because the string "Watermelon" does not match the string "watermelon" in the text.
Congratulations! Now you can understand how to use the “SEARCH” and “FIND” functions and use them easily in your study or business.
Part 3: How to find characters position in string in LibreOffice Calc?(Expanded)
To find the position of characters in a string in LibreOffice Calc, you can use the FIND or SEARCH function, depending on whether you want to perform a case-sensitive or case-insensitive search.
Method 1: Use “SEARCH” Function(Not Case Sensitive)
Example 1:
Step 1: Open the data you want to find
Step 2: Select the cell you want to search and type the syntax below:
SEARCH (text to be found, text where search to be made, starting character position)
This example searches for the character “m” in the text present in C5 cell. And search starts from position 1 so we will have the syntax as below:
Step 3: Press enter
The cell’s result returns the value 11 which is the position of “m” in the sentence
Example 2:
In this example, we also do these steps the same as example 1 but when you type the syntax the character “m” we will change to “M” and don’t worry the result is still the same.
The reason is that the “SEARCH” function is not case-sensitive so it doesn’t affect the result.
Method 2: Use “FIND” Function(Case Sensitive)
Example 1:
To use the FIND function to find the position of a character in a string, follow the same steps as outlined above for the SEARCH function, but use the FIND function instead.
Step 1: Open the data you want to find
Step 2: Choose the cell you want to find and type the syntax
FIND (text to be found, text where search to be made, starting character position)
In this one we will use this syntax: =FIND("m",C5,1)
Step 3: Press enter
Alt: Result
Example 2:
The following example shows how to use the FIND function to find the position of the first occurrence of the character "M" in the text string "This is a sample test":
Cause this is case-sensitive if you change the formula to capital m to “M” – the result is #VALUE error (no result)
The SEARCH and FIND functions are powerful tools that can be used to find the position of characters in a string in LibreOffice Calc. By following the steps outlined above, you can easily use these functions to solve a wide variety of problems.
Part 4: Best Excellent Alternative to LibreOffice Calc - WPS Spreadsheet
WPS Office, formerly known as Kingsoft Office, is a popular free office suite that includes WPS Writer (a word processor), WPS Spreadsheets (similar to Excel), and WPS Presentation (similar to PowerPoint). It is considered one of the best free alternatives to LibreOffice Calc.
Here are some of the features and benefits of WPS Office, especially when compared to LibreOffice Calc:
● Free download and free to use Word, Excel, and PPT: WPS Office is completely free to use, with no hidden fees or subscriptions.
● Powerful PDF toolkit: WPS Office includes a powerful PDF toolkit that allows users to create, edit, and convert PDF files.
●Rich template store: WPS Office has a rich template store with over 10,000 templates to choose from, including a variety of scheduling templates.
● Rich functions: WPS Office offers a wide range of features and functions, including the ability to collaborate with others online and to create and edit documents on the go.
● Light weight: WPS Office is a lightweight application that takes up very little space on your computer.
● Support online documents: WPS Office allows users to save and access documents online, making it easy to collaborate with others and to access your files from anywhere.
● Safe and stable: WPS Office is a safe and stable application that has been used by millions of people around the world.
My experience with WPS Office:
I have been using WPS Office for several years now and I have been very impressed with it. I find it to be a very user-friendly and powerful office suite. I especially appreciate the fact that it is free to use and that it is compatible with Microsoft Office formats.
Steps to download WPS Spreadsheet:
Step 1: Visit the WPS Office website: wps.com.
Step 2: Click “ Free Download” button
Step 3: Select the place you want to save WPS Office -> Save
Step 4: Double click on the WPS Office file in your Download file, click “Run” and follow the on-screen instructions to install
Step 5: After complete, you can enjoy all the power of WPS Office include WPS Spreadsheet
FAQS:
1. Are there any limitations to the length of the text I can search within?
While there are some limitations, they are quite generous, and you can search within lengthy texts with ease.
2. Can I use wildcards with these functions?
Unfortunately, the FIND function in LibreOffice Calc does not allow using wildcard characters, but the SEARCH function can.
Summary
The article discusses using functions in LibreOffice Calc to check if a cell contains specific text, providing helpful examples. While focusing on LibreOffice Calc, it's essential to note that WPS Office also offers similar functionality. Users can employ functions within WPS Spreadsheet to perform similar text-checking tasks, making it a suitable alternative for those looking for similar capabilities in a different spreadsheet software.
