Are you tired of dealing with non-printable characters in your Google Sheets? Well, worry no more! The Clean function is here to rescue you. In this article, we will explore the wonders of the Clean function and how it can help you get rid of those pesky non-printable characters.
Non-Printable Characters in Google Sheets
Before we dive into the Clean function, let’s understand what non-printable characters are. Non-printable characters are those invisible ASC-II characters like Backspace, Line Feed, Carriage Return, Horizontal Tab, Vertical Tab, and more. These characters can cause formatting issues and disrupt the flow of your data.
To see these characters in action, you can use the ArrayFormula function along with the Char function in Google Sheets. Simply apply the formula =ArrayFormula(char(row(A1:A50))) in cell A1, ensuring that column A is blank up to row #50. Scroll down the column, and you’ll notice the visible characters starting from row #33.
Dealing with Non-Printable Characters in Text
Non-printable characters can find their way into your sheets when you import data from external sources or manually insert them using the Char function. Luckily, the Clean function can help remove these characters and ensure your text remains clean and pristine.
Let’s take an example. Say you have the text “Info Inspired” in cell A1, and you want to move the word “Inspired” to a new line within the same cell. You can achieve this by using the Char function and the Line Feed character. Simply enter the formula ="INFO"&CHAR(10)&"INSPIRED" in a cell, and you’ll see the magic happen.
Syntax and Examples of the Clean Function
Now that we understand the importance of removing non-printable characters, let’s explore the syntax and examples of the Clean function.
Syntax:
CLEAN(text)
Argument:
- text: The text string in a cell or array whose non-printable characters are to be removed.
To use the Clean function, simply enter the formula =clean(A1) in a cell to remove non-printable characters from the text in cell A1.
If you have an array of cells containing text, you can use the ArrayFormula along with the Clean function. For example, =ArrayFormula(clean(A1:A10)) will clean the non-printable characters from cells A1 to A10.
It’s worth noting that the Clean function cannot remove whitespace characters. For that, you can use either the Trim function or the “Data > Trim Whitespace” command from the menu.
So there you have it – the Clean function in Google Sheets. Say goodbye to non-printable characters and enjoy clean and organized data. If you want to dig deeper into Google Sheets functionalities, check out Crawlan.com for more amazing tips and tricks.
Now go forth and clean those sheets like a pro!
