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Excel - Excel Tutorial: 3 Ways to Add a Hyphen After a Period | MrExcel Netcast - Episode 536

444 views · Published 4 August 2009 · 3:03 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: MrExcel.com · 2009 · Education

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Microsoft Excel Tutorial: 3 Ways to Add a Hyphen After a Period.

Welcome back to the MrExcel netcast, where we answer your Excel questions and provide helpful tips and tricks to make your spreadsheet experience even better. I'm Bill Jelen, and today we have a great question from Robbie about adding a hyphen after a period in a cell without using text to columns. Let's dive in and find the best solution for this problem.

Robbie's question is a common one, and there are actually three different ways to achieve this result. The first and most straightforward method is to use the find and replace function. Simply select the cells you want to edit, go to the edit menu, and choose replace. Then, enter a period in the "find what" field and a period hyphen in the "replace with" field. Click "replace all" and voila, the problem is solved.

However, if you're looking for a formula solution, there are two options. The first is to use the substitute function, which allows you to specify the text you want to replace and what you want to replace it with. In this case, we would use the substitute function to replace every period with a period hyphen. The second option is to use the replace function, which is a bit more complicated as it requires you to specify the exact characters you want to replace. Overall, the substitute function is probably the best choice for this scenario.

Finally, for those who prefer a more complex solution, you can use a combination of the find, left, mid, and len functions to achieve the same result. This method involves finding the position of the period in the cell, then using the left and mid functions to extract the characters before and after the period, and finally combining them with the hyphen in between. While this may be a bit more complicated, it can be useful for more complex scenarios.

So there you have it, three different ways to add a hyphen after a period in Excel. Whether you prefer a simple find and replace, a formula solution, or a more complex combination of functions, we hope this helps you solve your problem. Thanks for watching, and be sure to tune in next time for more helpful tips and tricks from MrExcel. Don't forget to like and subscribe for more Excel content. See you next time!

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Robbie calls in today to ask how to add a hyphen at an unknown position in each cell. For example, whenever Excel finds a period, add a dash. There are three solutions to this problem. Episode 536 compares them all.

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Table of Contents:
(00:00) Introduction by Bill Jelen
(00:17) Viewer question from Robbie
(00:27) Robbie's question about adding a hyphen after a period
(00:45) Bill's response and three possible solutions
(01:13) Formula answer using the SUBSTITUTE function
(01:40) Another function called REPLACE
(01:52) Two-step method using FIND, LEFT, MID, and LEN functions
(02:30) Clicking Like really helps the algorithm

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