COL_Q

This command extracts a string value from the text buffer.

It uses a pair of single quotation marks ('), a pair of double quotation marks ("), a space, a comma, and a comma followed by a space to break the text buffer into columns. Any quotation mark pairs that surround the requested column are removed from the return value.

Syntax

COL_Q column_number

Column_number must be an integer that specifies a column in the text buffer from which to extract data.

A column can be delimited by a pair of single quotation marks ('), a pair of double quotation marks ("), a space, a comma, or a comma followed by a space.

Return value

This command removes any quotation mark pairs that surround the column value and then returns the rest of the column value as a string.

Notes

To return a column value that includes any surrounding pairs of quotation marks, use COL_S.

Also see COL_N, COLUMN

Examples

COL_Q 1

If the text buffer contains the string  'part number xyz', 1.23, abc def  , this formula returns the string  part number xyz .

By contrast, the COL_S command returns  'part number xyz'  (including the quotation marks).

COL_Q 2

If the text buffer contains the string  'part number xyz', 1.23, abc def  , this formula returns the string  1.23 .

COL_Q 3

If the text buffer contains the string  'part number xyz', 1.23, abc def  , this formula returns the string  abc .

COL_Q 4

If the text buffer contains the string  'part number xyz', 1.23, abc def  , this formula returns the string  def .