
Unleash the Power of FIND and FINDB Functions in Text Searching
Explore the Depths of FIND and FINDB Functions
Demystifying FIND and FINDB Functions in Language Processing
DBCS Supported Languages: Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Korean
Syntax
=FIND(find_text, within_text,[start_num])
=FINDB(find_text,within_text,[start_num])
In which:
find_text: text string to be found, a required parameter.
within_text: text containing the text string to be found, a required parameter.
start_num: starting position for the search within within_text, where the first character of within_text is position 1 and increases with each character. If start_num is omitted, it defaults to 1, an optional parameter.
Note
The FIND and FINDB functions differentiate between uppercase and lowercase letters and do not allow the use of wildcard characters. If differentiation between uppercase and lowercase letters and the use of wildcard characters is necessary, the SEARCH or SEARCHB functions should be used.
If the substring to be searched for is an empty string '', the FIND function will return the position of the first character within the text being searched (either the position of start_num or 1 if start_num is omitted).
If the substring (find_text) does not appear within the text being searched (within_text), the FIND and FINDB functions will return an error value.
If start_num is less than 0 or greater than the length of within_text, the FIND and FINDB functions will return an error value.
- Utilize start_num to skip a specified number of characters unnecessary for searching. The FIND function always returns the count of characters from the beginning of within_text, counting all characters you skip when using start_num greater than 1.
To gain a deeper understanding, let's explore some examples together:
Example
Consider the text string (within_text) below:

1. Locate the position of the first 'u' in the text string in cell B6.
Applying the FIND function: =FIND('u',B6) yields a result of 3.

2. Find the position of the first 'h' in the text string in cell B6 starting from the 8th character onward.
Applying the FIND function: =FIND('h',B6,8) returns 10 because the function counts characters skipped when start_num is 8.

The preceding article has guided you through syntax and examples to help you understand how to use the FIND and FINDB functions. From now on, whenever you need to determine the position of a text string within another text, you can apply the FIND and FINDB functions. Wishing you success!
