Excel FINDB Function: A Comprehensive Guide

The FINDB function in Excel is similar to FIND but counts each double-byte character as 2 when searching text strings. This function is particularly useful when working with languages that use DBCS (Double-Byte Character Set) such as Japanese, Chinese, or Korean. This guide will help you master the FINDB function with practical examples and expert tips.

Quick Overview

• Function Category: Text
• Function Version: Excel 2007 and later
• Skill Level: Advanced
• Return Value: Number (byte position of found text)

Advantages of Using FINDB

1. Accurate text searching in DBCS languages
2. Precise byte-position calculations
3. Compatible with Asian language characters
4. Essential for international data processing

Syntax and Basic Usage

=FINDB(find_text, within_text, [start_num])

Parameters:

• find_text: The text you want to find
• within_text: The text containing the characters you want to find
• start_num: (Optional) Starting position for the search (default is 1)

Example 1: Basic Text Search

=FINDB("の", "日本の文化")    // Returns 3
=FINDB("文", "日本の文化")    // Returns 5
=FINDB("化", "日本の文化", 2)    // Returns 7

Understanding DBCS

1. Double-Byte Characters

   • Each DBCS character counts as 2 bytes
   • Single-byte characters (ASCII) count as 1
   • Affects position calculations

2. Language Support

   • Japanese (日本語)
   • Chinese (中文)
   • Korean (한국어)

Real-World Applications

1. International Data Processing

• Asian language text manipulation
• Multi-language document analysis
• Character position calculations

2. Text Extraction

• Parsing Asian language content
• Extracting names and titles
• Processing mixed-language text

3. Data Validation

• Verifying character positions
• Checking text format
• Validating Asian language input

Common Errors and Solutions

1. #VALUE! Error

   • Cause: Text not found or invalid input
   • Solution: Verify text exists and encoding

2. #NUM! Error

   • Cause: Start_num less than 1 or too large
   • Solution: Use valid starting position

Tips and Best Practices

1. Character Set Awareness

   • Understand DBCS vs SBCS differences
   • Consider text encoding
   • Use appropriate regional settings

2. Error Handling

   • Use IFERROR for graceful failure
   • Provide meaningful error messages
   • Consider language-specific defaults

3. Combining with Other Functions

   • Use with LEFTB, RIGHTB, MIDB
   • Combine with LENB for byte length
   • Pair with SUBSTITUTE for replacements

Practice Exercises

1. Basic DBCS Text Search

   • Find positions in Japanese text
   • Locate Chinese characters
   • Search Korean text strings

2. Advanced Applications

   • Extract Asian language names
   • Parse mixed-language content
   • Build multi-language validators

Key Takeaways

1. FINDB counts DBCS characters as 2
2. Essential for Asian language support
3. Returns byte-based positions
4. Different from standard FIND
5. Important for international data

Related Functions

• FIND - Standard character search
• LEFTB - Extract left bytes
• RIGHTB - Extract right bytes
• MIDB - Extract middle bytes
• LENB - Count bytes in text

Common Combinations

1. With MIDB

   Copy to clipboard

   =MIDB(A1, FINDB("の", A1), 2)    // Extract Japanese particle
   

2. With LEFTB/RIGHTB

   Copy to clipboard

   =LEFTB(A1, FINDB("様", A1) - 1)    // Extract name before honorific
   

3. With IFERROR

   Copy to clipboard

   =IFERROR(FINDB("先", A1), "Character not found")
   

Next Steps

1. Practice with Asian language examples
2. Explore DBCS text manipulation
3. Create international data processors
4. Build multi-language systems

Need help or have questions? Feel free to ask in the comments below!