The Power Tools For Data Manipulation Series: 11 Practical Formulas For Text Analysis
Blog post from Sigma
Text analysis is a fundamental tool for handling unstructured data, such as customer feedback and product descriptions, enabling businesses to extract meaningful insights and automate workflows. Techniques such as text extraction, pattern matching, concatenation, and advanced formatting methods simplify data cleaning and reporting. Spreadsheet functions like LEFT, RIGHT, MID, FIND, and SEARCH help isolate specific text segments, while wildcards and regular expressions (regex) allow for flexible and precise pattern matching. String concatenation, using functions like CONCAT and TEXTJOIN, organizes text efficiently for structured outputs. Tools like text-to-columns facilitate breaking down complex text entries into manageable components, essential for analyzing large datasets. Mastering these text manipulation techniques enhances data quality, streamlines workflows, and supports better decision-making in business analytics.