Excel Challenge #2

[maz1987]

It can be reduced further by changing LEFT(String,1) to LEFT(String), which appears to give the first letter by default.

Also, you do not need to specify the formula to give 0 if the test is false, so the ,0 part can also be removed:

=IF(SUM(IF(MID(A1,ROW(A:A),1)=LEFT(RIGHT(A1,ROW(A:A))),1))=LEN(A1),,"No ")&"Palindrome"

which is 86 characters.

I feel we're just refining it now so...back to study!

 

[Steve Hales]

replacing the use of the MID() function with LEFT(RIGHT(),1)

That's a really neat idea!

 

[Steve Hales]

This may be considered cheating , but if you change the cell formatting to

"Palindrome";;"No palindrome"

then the following solution only requires 66 characters

=--(SUM(IF(MID(A1,ROW(A:A),1)=LEFT(RIGHT(A1,ROW(A:A))),1))=LEN(A1))

 

[maz1987]

CA2 examiners would go mad.....and I like it!

edit: by the same logic, we could use:

(SUM((MID(A1,ROW(A:A),1)=LEFT(RIGHT(A1,ROW(A:A))))*1)=LEN(A1))*1

for 64 characters!

 

[Steve Hales]

CA2 examiners would go mad

I think that boat sailed some time ago

 

[Steve Hales]

This attempt has a character count of 56.

=--AND(RIGHT(LEFT(A1,ROW(A:A)))=LEFT(RIGHT(A1,ROW(A:A))))

The MID function had to be abandoned because MID(string,x,1) returns "" when x>len(string), whereas RIGHT(LEFT(string,x)) just gives RIGHT(string) for large values of x.

 

[maz1987]

Nice one! I tried to change the approach by using the SEARCH() function to reduce the character count but to no avail.

Although only one "-" sign is needed, with a result of -1 verifying it is a palindrome

 

[Steve Hales]

There haven't been any new suggestions for a couple of days, so it looks as though maz1987 is this month's winner - well done! Here's a summary of the final submission;

=-AND(RIGHT(LEFT(A1,ROW(A:A)))=LEFT(RIGHT(A1,ROW(A:A))))

with the number formatting set to

;"Palindrome";"No palindrome"

That puts the character count at 55.

Watch out for Excel Challenge #3 - launching Friday 10th April 2015.

 

[maz1987]

I couldn't possibly accept that after I simply removed one character from your attempt!

Look forward to the third..