Excel: Extract Data from File Names with Ease
Managing a large number of files can be quite challenging, especially when you need to extract specific information from their names. Excel, being a versatile tool, offers a variety of methods to help you extract data from file names. In this article, I will guide you through the process of extracting data from file names in Excel, covering different scenarios and techniques.
Using Text Functions
Excel’s text functions are powerful tools for extracting data from file names. Functions like LEFT, RIGHT, MID, and FIND can be used to extract specific parts of the file name. Let’s consider an example where you have a series of file names in column A, and you want to extract the date from the file name.
Assuming your file names are in the format “Project_2023-04-01_Report.xlsx,” you can use the following formula in cell B2:
=MID(A2, FIND("_", A2) + 1, 10)This formula finds the position of the underscore character, adds 1 to it, and then extracts the next 10 characters, which represent the date.
Now, let’s say you want to extract the project name from the file name. You can use the LEFT function to extract the first 10 characters before the underscore:
=LEFT(A2, FIND("_", A2) - 1)This formula finds the position of the underscore, subtracts 1 from it, and then extracts the characters before the underscore.
Using Power Query
Power Query is an advanced data transformation tool in Excel that can be used to extract data from file names. It provides a user-friendly interface and a wide range of functions to manipulate and transform data.
Let’s consider an example where you have a list of file names in column A, and you want to extract the project name, date, and file extension from each file name.
1. Select the range of file names in column A.2. Go to the “Data” tab and click on “Get & Transform Data” > “From Table/Range.”3. In the Power Query Editor, click on “Transform” > “Extract Text.”4. In the “Extract Text” dialog box, select “From Start” and enter the number of characters you want to extract (in this case, 10).5. Click “OK” and repeat the process for the date and file extension, selecting “From Start” and entering the appropriate number of characters.6. Click “Close & Load” to load the extracted data into a new worksheet.
Using Power Automate
Power Automate is a cloud-based service that allows you to create automated workflows between various applications and services. You can use Power Automate to extract data from file names and store it in a database or a spreadsheet.
Let’s consider an example where you want to extract the project name, date, and file extension from a series of file names and store the data in an Excel spreadsheet.
1. Create a new Power Automate flow.2. Add an “Initialize variable” action to create a new variable to store the extracted data.3. Add an “Get files” action to retrieve the list of files from a shared drive or a cloud storage service.4. Add a “For each” action to loop through each file in the list.5. Add an “Apply to each” action to extract the data from each file name using the text functions or Power Query techniques described earlier.6. Add a “Create row” action to store the extracted data in an Excel spreadsheet.7. Click “Save” to create the flow.
Conclusion
Extracting data from file names in Excel can be a straightforward process using text functions, Power Query, or Power Automate. By utilizing these tools, you can save time and effort in managing your files and extracting the information you need.
