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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....

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: 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.

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.
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.

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Thanks, I'm going to download LibreOffice and have a play in there. Appreciate the help!