Using Find/Replace to Save a Lot of Time
With any repetitive task, the key to finishing it quickly is to find the common pattern among the items you have to work with, and use that to your advantage.
For example, let’s say you have to complete this series:
=IF(ISERROR(FIND(”?”,C48)), B92 & C48 & B101 & B93 & B98 & E48 & B105 & B48 & B104 & B95,B92 & C48 & B103 & B93 & B98 & E48 & B105 & B48 & B104 & B95) & B91
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=IF(ISERROR(FIND(”?”,C77)), B92 & C77 & B101 & B93 & B98 & E77 & B105 & B77 & B104 & B95,B92 & C77 & B103 & B93 & B98 & E77 & B105 & B77 & B104 & B95) & B91
Do you see the common pattern here? Let me help you out:
=IF(ISERROR(FIND(”?”,C48)), B92 & C48 & B101 & B93 & B98 & E48 & B105 & B48 & B104 & B95,B92 & C48 & B103 & B93 & B98 & E48 & B105 & B48 & B104 & B95) & B91
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=IF(ISERROR(FIND(”?”,C77)), B92 & C77 & B101 & B93 & B98 & E77 & B105 & B77 & B104 & B95,B92 & C77 & B103 & B93 & B98 & E77 & B105 & B77 & B104 & B95) & B91
That’s right: only the bold text changes throughout the entire list. So, how do you take advantage of this? All you have to do is take the first item of the series, and replace what changes with a special symbol, like an asterisk:
=IF(ISERROR(FIND(”?”,C*)), B92 & C* & B101 & B93 & B98 & E* & B105 & B* & B104 & B95,B92 & C* & B103 & B93 & B98 & E* & B105 & B* & B104 & B95) & B91
Now, copy that, paste it, and use your programs find/replace function (even Notepad has one!) to replace the asterisk with the correct data. Like “48″ for the first item, “49″ for the second, “50″ for the third, so on and so forth. Repeat the process until you complete the list.
Doesn’t this approach save you a lot of time?
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