Are you tired of struggling to highlight cells in Google Sheets that contain special characters? Look no further! In this article, I’ll reveal the secret formula to easily identify and highlight any cell, column, row, or array that contains non-alphanumeric characters. Whether it’s symbols, foreign characters, or anything outside of the standard text, numeric, and white space, this guide has got you covered!
Highlighting a Single Cell That Contains Special Characters
Let’s start by focusing on highlighting a single cell that contains special characters. By applying a simple formula, you can easily achieve this. Here’s how:
=len(trim(REGEXREPLACE(A1, "[A-Za-z0-9]", "")))- Select the cell (e.g., A1) that you want to highlight.
- Go to the “Format” menu and choose “Conditional formatting.”
- In the “Apply to range” field, enter the cell reference (e.g., A1).
- Select “Custom formula is…” in the “Format cells if…” dropdown menu and enter the formula mentioned above.
- Choose your preferred highlight color and click “Done.”
Highlighting an Entire Column That Contains Special Characters
Now, let’s move on to highlighting an entire column that contains special characters. The formula remains the same, but there’s a slight change in the range. Follow these steps:
=len(trim(REGEXREPLACE(A1:A, "[A-Za-z0-9]", "")))- Select the entire column range (e.g., A1:A) that you want to highlight.
- Go to “Conditional formatting” and ensure that the “Apply to range” is adjusted accordingly (e.g., A1:A).
- Apply the same formula as mentioned earlier.
Highlighting Rows That Contain Special Characters
Highlighting rows that contain special characters is just as simple. You can customize the range in the formula and the conditional formatting rules. Here’s an example:
=len(trim(REGEXREPLACE(A1:H1, "[A-Za-z0-9]", "")))- Select the row range (e.g., A1:H1) that you want to highlight.
- Navigate to “Conditional formatting” and adjust the “Apply to range” to match the selected range (e.g., A1:H1).
- Apply the formula as explained previously.
Highlighting Arrays That Contain Special Characters
If you are dealing with an array that contains special characters, the formula requires a slight modification. Follow these steps:
=ArrayFormula(len(trim(REGEXREPLACE(A1:H4, "[A-Za-z0-9]", ""))))- Select the desired array range (e.g., A1:H4) that you want to highlight.
- Apply the conditional formatting rules just as before.
- Use the modified formula mentioned above to ensure accurate highlighting.
That’s all there is to it! You now have the knowledge to confidently highlight cells, columns, rows, and arrays that contain special characters in Google Sheets.
How the Formula Works
To provide a deeper understanding of the formula, let’s break it down:
=len(trim(REGEXREPLACE(A1, "[A-Za-z0-9]", "")))The formula replaces all alphanumeric characters in the selected cell (e.g., A1) with an empty string. It then trims any remaining white spaces and returns the length of the special characters left. For instance, if the cell contains a word like “@prashanth_kv”, the formula will return the number 2.
You can modify the formula to set exceptions and include specific special characters. For example:
=len(trim(REGEXREPLACE(A1, "[A-Za-z0-9@_]", "")))Now you have the power to exclude special characters like underscore and @ symbols from the formatting rule.
Follow this tutorial closely, and you’ll become a pro at highlighting cells containing special characters in Google Sheets. Enjoy the newfound efficiency and organization in your spreadsheets!
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Remember, sharing is caring, so don’t keep this good stuff to yourself! Share it with your fellow spreadsheet enthusiasts and save them from the headache of manually searching for special characters. Happy highlighting!
