Excel Formula: how to split string by capital letters - excel

Question

Using a formula, not VBA, I would like to come up with a solution to split a string composed of multiple words. The formula should recognize the words where there is a capital letter and separate them. The result would be a string where the words are separated by ",".
To clarify this is an example of the string:
Nursing StudentStudentNurseNursing School
Desired Result:
Nursing Student,Student,Nurse,Nursing School
I am trying the following formula but I can only isolate the first word:
{=LEFT(Q4,SMALL(FIND(CHAR(ROW(INDIRECT("65:90"))),Q4&"ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ"),2)-1)}
Any suggestion?

Answer 1

To accomplish this, you will need pure VBA. Create a custom Function to get in 1 cell the string you want. Then, use Text to Columns later if you need it.
My function:
Public Function GET_STRING(ByVal ThisCell As Range) As String
Dim i As Integer
Dim MyPositions As String
Dim ArrPositions As Variant
For i = 2 To Len(ThisCell.Value) Step 1
If Mid(ThisCell.Value, i, 1) = UCase(Mid(ThisCell.Value, i, 1)) And _
Mid(ThisCell.Value, i, 1) <> " " And Left(Mid(ThisCell.Value, i - 1, 1), 1) <> " " Then MyPositions = MyPositions & i & ";"
Next i
ArrPositions = Split(Left(MyPositions, Len(MyPositions) - 1), ";")
For i = 0 To UBound(ArrPositions) Step 1
If i = 0 Then
GET_STRING = Left(ThisCell.Value, ArrPositions(i) - 1) & "," & Mid(ThisCell.Value, ArrPositions(i), ArrPositions(i + 1) - ArrPositions(i))
ElseIf i <> UBound(ArrPositions) Then
GET_STRING = GET_STRING & "," & Mid(ThisCell.Value, ArrPositions(i), ArrPositions(i + 1) - ArrPositions(i))
Else
GET_STRING = GET_STRING & "," & Mid(ThisCell.Value, ArrPositions(i), Len(ThisCell.Value) - ArrPositions(i) + 1)
End If
Next i
End Function
What I get when i use it on excel

Answer 2

You're pushing the envelope with this requirement. What you want to achieve requires looping over the same string repeatedly. That can only be done with recursion and Excel formulas don't do recursion.
With modern Excel 2016 you have Power Query (Get & Transform, or the add-in for Excel 2010 and 2013) and you can use that to write out the logic in M code if you don't want to use VBA. Power Query can be saved in a macro-free workbook and new data can be processed with the click of the "Refresh all" command in the ribbon.

Answer 3

In B2:C28 fill in these :
A ,A
B ,B
C ,C
D ,D
E ,E
F ,F
G ,G
H ,H
I ,I
J ,J
K ,K
L ,L
M ,M
N ,N
O ,O
P ,P
Q ,Q
R ,R
S ,S
T ,T
U ,U
V ,V
W ,W
X ,X
Y ,Y
Z ,Z
,
Note: B28 = , C28 =
then in A2 =SUBSTITUTE(A1,B2,C2) then drag until A28,
in A29 =RIGHT(A28,LEN(A28)-1) Done.
Hope that helps. (:
+------[edit]-----+
or in one line :
=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A1,"Z",",Z"),"Y",",Y"),"X",",X"),"W",",W"),"V",",V"),"U",",U"),"T",",T"),"S",",S"),"R",",R"),"Q",",Q"),"P",",P"),"O",",O"),"N",",N"),"M",",M"),"L",",L"),"K",",K"),"J",",J"),"I",",I"),"H",",H"),"G",",G"),"F",",F"),"E",",E"),"D",",D"),"C",",C"),"B",",B"),"A",",A")," ,"," ")

Answer 4

This is what I use in access VBA
Pass a string like
?GET_SPLIT_STRING("SplitAtCapitals")
and get back the following
Split At Capitals
Public Function GET_SPLIT_STRING(xStr As String) As String
Dim i As Integer, xchar As String, ychar As String
ychar = UCase(Left(xStr, 1))
For i = 2 To Len(xStr) Step 1
xchar = Mid(xStr, i, 1)
If asc(xchar) = asc(UCase(xchar)) Then
xchar = Space(1) & xchar
End If
ychar = ychar & xchar
Next
GET_SPLIT_STRING = ychar
End Function