Excel: Use formula longer that 255 characters

Question

I have the following formula in excel

=CONCATENATE("insert into #UpdateData (mondayopenhour, mondayopenmin,mondayclosehour, mondayclosemin,tuesdayopenhour, tuesdayopenmin,tuesdayclosehour, tuesdayclosemin,wednesdayopenhour, wednesdayopenmin, wednesdayclosehour, wednesdayclosemin,thursdayopenhour, thursdayopenmin,thursdayclosehour, thursdayclosemin, fridayopenhour, fridayopenmin, fridayclosehour, fridayclosemin, saturdayopenhour, saturdayopenmin, saturdayclosehour, saturdayclosemin, sundayopenhour, sundayopenmin, sundayclosehour, sundayclosemin values ('",TRIM(A2),"',",MID(B2,1,2),",",MID(B2,3,2),",",MID(C2,1,2),",",MID(C2,3,2),",",MID(D2,1,2),",",MID(D2,3,2),",",(MID(E2,1,2),",",MID(E2,3,2),",",MID(F2,1,2),",",MID(F2,3,2),",",MID(G2,1,2),",",MID(G2,3,2),",",MID(H2,1,2),",",MID(H2,3,2),",",MID(I2,1,2),",",MID(I2,3,2),",",MID(J2,1,2),",",MID(J2,3,2),",",MID(K2,1,2),",",MID(K2,3,2),",",MID(L2,1,2),",",MID(L2,3,2),",",MID(M2,1,2),",",MID(M2,3,2),",",MID(N2,1,2),",",MID(N2,3,2),",",MID(O2,1,2),",",MID(O2,3,2),")")

When I try run it i get the following error

Text values in formulas are limited to 255 characters. To create text values longer than 255 characters in a formula, use the CONCATENATE function or the concatenation operator (&).

I have been looking this up online but have got no real solutions for this! does anybody know how to solve this?

Answer 1

I just hit this problem too... but its not really a problem. You can only have 255 chars in a cell, but unlimited in a formula. Your formula will result in an error, so excel is reading it as text rather than a formula. Find your error and your formula will work.

Answer 2

Now this is one messy function. You have to seperate your input to CONCATENATE.

Right now you have there only one very big string starting on "insert ..." ending on "....MID(O2,3,2),")" - or at least, that is where I think this ends, because of all the "," it's really tough to step through this.

Here is how you should use CONCATENATE:

=CONCATENATE("insert into #UpdateData (mondayopenhour,","mondayopenmin,")

You can extend this, so you won't have a single string which is longer than 255 characters.

edit: by the way - your current string has about 972 characters.

you can ease the seperation by using this formula:

=MID("insert into #UpdateData (mondayopenhour, mondayopenmin,mondayclosehour, mondayclosemin,tuesdayopenhour, tuesdayopenmin,tuesdayclosehour, tuesdayclosemin,wednesdayopenhour, wednesdayopenmin, wednesdayclosehour, wednesdayclosemin,thursdayopenhour, thursdayopenmin,thursdayclosehour, thursdayclosemin, fridayopenhour, fridayopenmin, fridayclosehour, fridayclosemin, saturdayopenhour, saturdayopenmin, saturdayclosehour, saturdayclosemin, sundayopenhour, sundayopenmin, sundayclosehour, sundayclosemin values ('",TRIM(A2),"',",MID(B2,1,2),",",MID(B2,3,2),",",MID(C2,1,2),",",MID(C2,3,2),",",MID(D2,1,2),",",MID(D2,3,2),",",(MID(E2,1,2),",",MID(E2,3,2),",",MID(F2,1,2),",",MID(F2,3,2),",",MID(G2,1,2),",",MID(G2,3,2),",",MID(H2,1,2),",",MID(H2,3,2),",",MID(I2,1,2),",",MID(I2,3,2),",",MID(J2,1,2),",",MID(J2,3,2),",",MID(K2,1,2),",",MID(K2,3,2),",",MID(L2,1,2),",",MID(L2,3,2),",",MID(M2,1,2),",",MID(M2,3,2),",",MID(N2,1,2),",",MID(N2,3,2),",",MID(O2,1,2),",",MID(O2,3,2),")",2,255)