Are you tired of manually replacing delimiters in your Google Sheets? Well, fret no more! I have discovered a game-changing solution using the amazing REGEXREPLACE function. Let me share my real-life scenario with you and guide you through the process.
The Challenge: Performing a Dynamic Query
Recently, I had a task that required me to perform a dynamic query within the QUERY function in Google Sheets. The syntax for this function is as follows: QUERY(data, query, [headers]). However, I faced a roadblock in generating the dynamic query I needed.
Here’s what I tried initially: I used a combination of TEXTJOIN and SEQUENCE functions in cell A2 to generate the dynamic query. My formula looked like this:
=ArrayFormula(textjoin("*", true, "Col" & sequence(1,10)))
The output was a concatenated string like this: Col1*Col2*Col3*Col4*Col5*Col6*Col7*Col8*Col9*Col10. But what I actually needed was a slightly different format: Col1*Col2+Col3*Col4+Col5*Col6+Col7*Col8+Col9*Col10.
Introducing the Solution: REGEXREPLACE
To address this issue, I turned to the powerful REGEXREPLACE function in Google Sheets. With REGEXREPLACE, I was able to substitute or replace every nth delimiter in my desired format.
Let’s dive into the steps to replace every nth delimiter using REGEXREPLACE in Google Sheets.
Example 1: Substitute Every Nth Asterisk with Plus Signs
Assuming the query output is in cell A2, you can use the following formula in cell B2:
=regexreplace(REGEXREPLACE(A2,"(*.*?){2}","$0+"), "*+","+")
Here’s a visual representation of the formula in action:
Let me explain the formula in detail. It involves a nested REGEXREPLACE formula where one regex function is nested within another. The inner REGEXREPLACE function adds the required delimiter (in this case, a plus sign) at every nth (2nd) position. The outer REGEXREPLACE function then substitutes all the occurrences of *+ with +.
You can easily modify the formula to replace every nth delimiter by changing the number in the curly braces. For example, replacing {2} with {3} will substitute or replace every 3rd delimiter.
If you have a column of values in Google Sheets, you can use an array formula to replace every nth delimiter. Here’s how you can modify the formula:
=ArrayFormula(regexreplace(REGEXREPLACE(A2:A,"(*.*?){2}","$0+"), "*+","+"))Example 2: Replace Every Nth Comma with Tilde Delimiters
Let’s say you have names separated by commas in cell A2, and you want to replace every 2nd comma with a tilde. The goal is to split the output and create pairs of names in two columns.
You can achieve this by using the following formula:
=regexreplace(REGEXREPLACE(A2:A,"(,.*?){2}","$0~"), ",~","~")
To reach the end goal, you should use SPLIT (twice), TRIM, and TRANSPOSE with an ArrayFormula. Here’s an example:
=ArrayFormula(TRIM(SPLIT(TRANSPOSE(SPLIT(regexreplace(REGEXREPLACE(A2:A,"(,.*?){2}","$0~"), ",~","~"), "~")), ",")))
Check out the visual representation of the formula in action:
And there you have it! With the power of REGEXREPLACE, you can easily replace every nth delimiter in Google Sheets and transform your data.
Conclusion
Replacing every nth delimiter in Google Sheets used to be a tedious task. But now, armed with the REGEXREPLACE function, you can achieve this with just a few simple steps. Say goodbye to manual replacements and hello to a more efficient workflow!
If you’re looking for more tips, tricks, and tutorials on Google Sheets, be sure to visit Crawlan.com. Happy spreadsheeting!
