[Solved] Create decoding string from cells

Discuss the spreadsheet application
Locked
Dingmac
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2024 9:46 pm

[Solved] Create decoding string from cells

Post by Dingmac »

I assume there is a way to do this but I'm an art and photography person! HELP! My daughter's maths challenge.

Decoding project. The first step is to combine two sets of info, then use a lookup table.

aabcd deabb

12231 53212

import the text as a column of single one character cells

import the numbers as a single column of one character cells

Combine the two into column 3

a - 1 -  a1
a - 2 -  a2
b - 2 -  b2
c - 3 -  c3
d - 1 -  d1

d - 5 -  d5
e - 3 -  e3
a - 2 -  a2
b - 1 -  b1
b - 2 -  b2

Take column 3 and output as text string:

a1 a2 b2 c3 d1 d5 e3 a2 b1 b2

Decoding software, already set up with a lookup table, can take it from there.

Any help appreciated, otherwise I'm going to look a hopeless dad....
Last edited by MrProgrammer on Thu Dec 12, 2024 10:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Open Office 4.1.15 on Mac OS 13.7.1
User avatar
Lupp
Volunteer
Posts: 3756
Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 7:05 pm
Location: München, Germany

sorting coded info for decoding

Post by Lupp »

Dingmac wrote: Mon Dec 02, 2024 10:06 pm ...

b - 2 - b2
Take column 3 and output as text string:

a1 a2 b2 c3 d1 d5 e3 a2 b1 b2

Decoding software, already set up with a lookup table, can take it from there.
How should that work?
You can use the third column for some LOOKUP, but the joint result would be useless - except you wanted to use the looked-up results before collecting the strings.

See attachment:
aoo112187strangeThing.ods
(20.55 KiB) Downloaded 68 times
Supposing you actually want to join decoded strings using a space as delimiter, AOO has no built-in support for that step.
You woul need EITHER
User code ("macro") OR
Complicated workarounds OR
LibreOffice V 4.2 or higher (current: V24.8.3) which has the TEXTJOIN() function for the purpose.
On Windows 10: LibreOffice 25.8.4 and older versions, PortableOpenOffice 4.1.7 and older, StarOffice 5.2
---
Lupp from München
User avatar
MrProgrammer
Moderator
Posts: 5430
Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2010 7:57 pm
Location: Wisconsin, USA

Re: Sorting coded info for decoding

Post by MrProgrammer »

Dingmac wrote: Mon Dec 02, 2024 10:06 pm
aabcd deabb
12231 53212
Import text [and numbers] as one character cells
Combine the two [and] output as text string
Given your sample data, it's easier to put it in two rows of ten cells instead of using two columns, The text string is in cell L3.
202412041848.ods
Solution for OpenOffice or LibreOffice
(12.19 KiB) Downloaded 84 times

If this solved your problem please go to your first post use the Edit ✏️ button and add [Solved] to the start of the Subject field. Select the green checkmark icon at the same time.

[Tutorial] Ten concepts that every Calc user should know
Mr. Programmer
AOO 4.1.7 Build 9800, MacOS 13.7.8, iMac Intel.   The locale for any menus or Calc formulas in my posts is English (USA).
Dingmac
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2024 9:46 pm

Re: Sorting coded info for decoding

Post by Dingmac »

Thanks, I'm going to download LibreOffice and have a play in there. Appreciate the help!
Open Office 4.1.15 on Mac OS 13.7.1
Locked