This Section covers the second of two groups of worksheet functions that extract numbers or associated information from strings.

• The first group contains functions that extracts numbers and other information from the string directly.
  
• This second group of 22 worksheet functions approaches the process of extracting numeric data from a string indirectly. Initially each function generates a temporary database (or array) of information about the numbers contained in the string. The user extracts the information about each number by virtue of its location in the database. This group of worksheet functions is sub-divided into those which return values or information directly from the temporary database and those that describe or return information about the contents of the database.
  

The temporary database (or array) holds information about each group of digits which together form a true number. This can be either a whole number or a decimal value. The analysis also recognises commas in the whole number portion of a string, provided they comply with usual conventions of using commas as a 1000 marker.

The table below shows the data held on the three numbers contained in the string 14,727Stephen32.87Allen15.375. You use the values 1 to 3 (the Array Positions) as the primary argument or parameter to select the data you require.

The values of -1 in the records for the preceding and subsequent characters are error values. You cannot have a character before the start or after the end of a string.

Remarks

The array construction process only recognises positive numbers. If any of the array functions returns a value of -1, this represents an error.

See also

Approaches to Number Extraction | Worksheet Functions or Formulae