Remove middle initial from "first name middle initial"

Hello Excel Gurus,

I've been searching the site for an answer to this question but as yet no
luck. If I missed a previous post on this topic I apologize, please direct me
to it.

I have 1 column with a series of people's first names. Many have a middle
initial, some don't. About half of the cells are of two people's names joined
by an "&". Sample data below:

Frank & Debbie J
Marshall & Teresa
Timothy R
Jeffrey D & Eileen N
Pamela J
James R & Rachel
Brooke S
Myung S
Martin F & Susan A
Kathleen

I need remove the middle initial and preserve the first names and the "&"
with a single space between the names and the "&". Can anyone provide me with
a way to do this?

Many thanks in advance,
Justin F.

One way to try ..

Assuming the data is n A2 down,

Put in B2, and copy down:
=IF(OR(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("&",A2)),NOT(ISNUMBER(SEARC H("
",A2)))),A2,LEFT(A2,SEARCH(" ",A2)-1))

--
Rgds
Max
xl 97
---
GMT+8, 1° 22' N 103° 45' E
xdemechanik atyahoodotcom
----
"Justin F." Justin wrote in message
...
Hello Excel Gurus,

I've been searching the site for an answer to this question but as yet no
luck. If I missed a previous post on this topic I apologize, please direct
me
to it.

I have 1 column with a series of people's first names. Many have a middle
initial, some don't. About half of the cells are of two people's names
joined
by an "&". Sample data below:

Frank & Debbie J
Marshall & Teresa
Timothy R
Jeffrey D & Eileen N
Pamela J
James R & Rachel
Brooke S
Myung S
Martin F & Susan A
Kathleen

I need remove the middle initial and preserve the first names and the "&"
with a single space between the names and the "&". Can anyone provide me
with
a way to do this?

Many thanks in advance,
Justin F.

Or, maybe better to wrap TRIM() around the source data in col A,

Put in B2, and copy down:

=IF(OR(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("&",TRIM(A2))),NOT(ISNUMBER (SEARCH("
",TRIM(A2))))),TRIM(A2),LEFT(TRIM(A2),SEARCH(" ",TRIM(A2))-1))

[same formula as before, but with "TRIM(A2)" replacing "A2"]
--
Rgds
Max
xl 97
---
GMT+8, 1° 22' N 103° 45' E
xdemechanik atyahoodotcom
----

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 18:02:02 -0700, Justin F. Justin
wrote:

Hello Excel Gurus,

I've been searching the site for an answer to this question but as yet no
luck. If I missed a previous post on this topic I apologize, please direct me
to it.

I have 1 column with a series of people's first names. Many have a middle
initial, some don't. About half of the cells are of two people's names joined
by an "&". Sample data below:

Frank & Debbie J
Marshall & Teresa
Timothy R
Jeffrey D & Eileen N
Pamela J
James R & Rachel
Brooke S
Myung S
Martin F & Susan A
Kathleen

I need remove the middle initial and preserve the first names and the "&"
with a single space between the names and the "&". Can anyone provide me with
a way to do this?

Many thanks in advance,
Justin F.


Assuming your formats are exactly as you show, with only a single space around
the "&" and before and/or after the Initials, then the following formula will
do what you describe on your data set:

=IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(" ? &",IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(" ?",RIGHT(A2,2))),
A2,LEFT(A2,LEN(A2)-2)))),IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(" ?",RIGHT(A2,2))),A2,
LEFT(A2,LEN(A2)-2)),REPLACE(IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(" ?",RIGHT(A2,2))),
A2,LEFT(A2,LEN(A2)-2)),SEARCH(" ? &",IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(" ?",
RIGHT(A2,2))),A2,LEFT(A2,LEN(A2)-2))),3," "))

It returns the following:

Frank & Debbie
Marshall & Teresa
Timothy
Jeffrey & Eileen
Pamela
James & Rachel
Brooke
Myung
Martin & Susan
Kathleen


If there is a concern for extra spaces creeping in, then substitute TRIM(A2)
for the A2's:

=IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(" ? &",IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(" ?",RIGHT(TRIM(A2),2))),
TRIM(A2),LEFT(TRIM(A2),LEN(TRIM(A2))-2)))),IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(
" ?",RIGHT(TRIM(A2),2))),TRIM(A2),LEFT(TRIM(A2),LEN( TRIM(A2))-2)),
REPLACE(IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(" ?",RIGHT(TRIM(A2),2))),TRIM(A2),LEFT(
TRIM(A2),LEN(TRIM(A2))-2)),SEARCH(" ? &",IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(" ?",RIGHT(
TRIM(A2),2))),TRIM(A2),LEFT(TRIM(A2),LEN(TRIM(A2))-2))),3," "))


--ron

Superb one, Ron !

My flawed attempt was due to an oversimplified interp g
on the spec's part of preserving the data if there's an "&" inside ..
--
Rgds
Max
xl 97
---
GMT+8, 1° 22' N 103° 45' E
xdemechanik atyahoodotcom
----

ugh .. pl trash all earlier suggestions here
(mis-read the specs)

See Ron's offering ..
--
Rgds
Max
xl 97
---
GMT+8, 1° 22' N 103° 45' E
xdemechanik atyahoodotcom
----

On Fri, 24 Jun 2005 10:19:13 +0800, "Max" wrote:

Superb one, Ron !

My flawed attempt was due to an oversimplified interp g
on the spec's part of preserving the data if there's an "&" inside ..

I tried yours first, and when it didn't return what I thought the OP wanted, I
decided to work on it.

But I've posted many non-solutions due to misinterpretations of the
specifications, also sigh


--ron

Ron, This is awesome. Thank you so much for your help! Max, thanks also for
the attempt. Its very much appreciated.

Justin F.

"Ron Rosenfeld" wrote:

On Fri, 24 Jun 2005 10:19:13 +0800, "Max" wrote:

Superb one, Ron !

My flawed attempt was due to an oversimplified interp g
on the spec's part of preserving the data if there's an "&" inside ..

I tried yours first, and when it didn't return what I thought the OP wanted, I
decided to work on it.

But I've posted many non-solutions due to misinterpretations of the
specifications, also sigh


--ron

On Fri, 24 Jun 2005 10:25:05 -0700, Justin F.
wrote:

Ron, This is awesome. Thank you so much for your help! Max, thanks also for
the attempt. Its very much appreciated.

You're welcome. Thanks for the feedback. Post back if you run into problems
with it.


--ron

You're welcome, Justin !
Thanks for the feedback ..
--
Rgds
Max
xl 97
---
GMT+8, 1° 22' N 103° 45' E
xdemechanik atyahoodotcom
----
"Justin F." wrote in message
...
Ron, This is awesome. Thank you so much for your help!
Max, thanks also for the attempt. Its very much appreciated.

Justin F.