Parsing and comparing a complicated string - string

Question

I am hoping someone could help me out with a VBA Excel macro.
I have received a worksheet in Excel 2007 which contains product names in one column, and I need to sort this into a logical format so I can use it. However, the list itself is not in any kind of logical order, is 10 000 rows long and I am going to have to do this every month!!
Basically, what I would like to do is search for certain keywords which are common to most of the entries and move them into separate cells in different columns (but in the same row as the original entry).
Regarding keywords: There are 3 different types, two of which I have a complete list of.
Example of keywords: some are measures such as cm (centimetre), mm (millimetre), m (metre) etc.). Then there are other keywords such as % and finally a last set of keywords which is wood, plastic, glass etc.
If this was not complicated enough, the measures (cm for example) are duplicated in some instances and are important details so I cant just separate them but would ideally like them in two adjacent cells.
Fortunately, there is a space after each measure, % sign and item material.
Working from right to left is the easiest way I can think of achieving this as the first description in the string varies wildly between entries and that can stay as is.
So, below is an example string, lets say this is in Cell A1. (Inverted commas are not included in the string and the word "by" appears in only about 100 cases. Usually it is missing...)
"Chair Leg Wood 100% 1m by 20cm"
I would ideally like for the string to be split up into cells as follows
Cell B1 - Chair Leg
Cell C1 - Wood
Cell D1 - 1m
Cell E1 - 2cm
Cell F1 - 100%
Having the % measures in the same column would be extremely helpful
Can anyone please help me with this or the beginnings of a macro which does this and then moves down the list - I have tried using some basic "find" and "len" formulas but really am at my wits end on how to deal with this!

Answer 1

The task boils down to defining a robust definition of the structure of the input data.
Form the info provided a candidate definition might be
<Description, one or more words> <Material, one word> <A value followd by %> <Dimension A> <optional "by"> <Dimension B>
The following macro will process data that conforms this this spec. The definition may need
expanding, eg two word materials (eg Mild Steel)
You will need to add error handling in case any rows don't conform, eg no % in the string, or % character elsewhere in string
Option Explicit
Dim dat As Variant
Sub ProcessData()
Dim r As Range
Dim i As Long
Set r = Intersect(ActiveSheet.UsedRange, ActiveSheet.Columns(1)).Resize(, 5)
dat = r
For i = 1 To UBound(dat, 1)
ParseRow i, CStr(dat(i, 1))
Next
r = dat
ActiveSheet.Columns(5).Style = "Percent"
End Sub
Sub ParseRow(rw As Long, s As String)
'Chair Leg Wood 100% 1m by 20cm
Dim i As Long
Dim sDim As String, sPCnt As String, sMat As String, sDesc As String
Dim sA As String, sB As String
i = InStr(s, "% ")
sDim = Trim(Replace(Mid(s, i + 2), " by ", " ")) ' text to right of %, remove "by"
sA = Trim(Left(sDim, InStr(sDim, " "))) ' split dimension string in two
sB = Trim(Mid(sDim, InStr(sDim, " ")))
s = Left(s, i)
i = InStrRev(s, " ")
sPCnt = Mid(s, i + 1) ' text back to first space before %
s = Trim(Left(s, i))
i = InStrRev(s, " ") ' last word in string
sMat = Mid(s, i + 1)
sDesc = Trim(Left(s, i)) ' whats left
dat(rw, 1) = sDesc
dat(rw, 2) = sMat
dat(rw, 3) = sA
dat(rw, 4) = sB
dat(rw, 5) = sPCnt
End Sub

Answer 2

First, I'd use the Split function to separate the parts into an array, this will avoid most of the string functions and string math:
Dim parts As Variant
parts = Split(A1)
Then, I'd do my comparisons to each part.
Finally, I'd concatenate the parts I didn't breakout, and place all parts on the sheet.
This is based on your example which has spaces inbetween every part, though something similar could work otherwise, you just have to do more work with each part.

Answer 3

Here's my stab at it. We could use about 10 more examples, but this should be a start. To use, select a one column range with your descriptions and run SplitProduct. It will split it out to the right of each cell.
Sub SplitProducts()
Dim rCell As Range
Dim vaSplit As Variant
Dim i As Long
Dim aOutput() As Variant
Dim lCnt As Long
Const lCOLDESC As Long = 1
Const lCOLMAT As Long = 2
Const lCOLPCT As Long = 3
Const lCOLREM As Long = 4
If TypeName(Selection) = "Range" Then
If Selection.Columns.Count = 1 Then
For Each rCell In Selection.Cells
'split into words
vaSplit = Split(rCell.Value, Space(1))
ReDim aOutput(1 To 1, 1 To 1)
'loop through the words
For i = LBound(vaSplit) To UBound(vaSplit)
Select Case True
Case IsPercent(vaSplit(i))
'percents always go in the same column
lCnt = lCOLPCT
If UBound(aOutput, 2) < lCnt Then
ReDim Preserve aOutput(1 To 1, 1 To lCnt)
End If
aOutput(1, lCnt) = vaSplit(i)
Case IsInList(vaSplit(i))
'list items always go in the same column
lCnt = lCOLMAT
ReDim Preserve aOutput(1 To 1, 1 To lCnt)
If UBound(aOutput, 2) < lCnt Then
ReDim Preserve aOutput(1 To 1, 1 To lCnt)
End If
aOutput(1, lCnt) = vaSplit(i)
Case IsMeasure(vaSplit(i))
'measurements go in the last column(s)
If UBound(aOutput, 2) < lCOLREM Then
lCnt = lCOLREM
Else
lCnt = UBound(aOutput, 2) + 1
End If
ReDim Preserve aOutput(1 To 1, 1 To lCnt)
aOutput(1, lCnt) = vaSplit(i)
Case Else
'everything else gets concatentated in the desc column
aOutput(1, lCOLDESC) = aOutput(1, lCOLDESC) & " " & vaSplit(i)
End Select
Next i
'remove any extraneous spaces
aOutput(1, lCOLDESC) = Trim(aOutput(1, lCOLDESC))
'write the values to the left of the input range
rCell.Offset(0, 1).Resize(1, UBound(aOutput, 2)).Value = aOutput
Next rCell
Else
MsgBox "Select a one column range"
End If
End If
End Sub
Function IsPercent(ByVal sInput As String) As Boolean
IsPercent = Right$(sInput, 1) = "%"
End Function
Function IsInList(ByVal sInput As String) As Boolean
Dim vaList As Variant
Dim vaTest As Variant
'add list items as needed
vaList = Array("Wood", "Glass", "Plastic")
vaTest = Filter(vaList, sInput)
IsInList = UBound(vaTest) > -1
End Function
Function IsMeasure(ByVal sInput As String) As Boolean
Dim vaMeas As Variant
Dim i As Long
'add measurements as needed
vaMeas = Array("mm", "cm", "m")
For i = LBound(vaMeas) To UBound(vaMeas)
'any number of characters that end in a number and a measurement
If sInput Like "*#" & vaMeas(i) Then
IsMeasure = True
Exit For
End If
Next i
End Function
No guarantees that this will be speedy on 10k rows.