This post will guide you how to find the maximal and minimal value or string from an alphanumeric data list in excel. How do I retrieve or get the max or min string value based on alphabetic order from a string data in excel.

For example, if you want to find the Maximal or minimal string value from an alphanumeric data list in the range B1:B5, you can create a formula based on the LOOKUP function and the COUNTIF function.

To get the max value based on the alphabetic order, you can use the following formula:

=LOOKUP(2,1/(COUNTIF(B1:B5,">"& B1:B5)=0), B1:B5)

You can also use the following array formula to achieve the same result. Just follow these steps to apply the array formula:

#1 type the formula in the formula box of cell D1

=INDEX(B1:B5,MATCH(MAX(COUNTIF(B1:B5,”<“& B1:B5)),COUNTIF(B1:B5,”<“& B1:B5),0))

#2 Press Ctrl + Shift +Enter on your keyboard to make the formula as an array formula.

#3 the formula will be change as the following style:

{=INDEX(B1:B5,MATCH(MAX(COUNTIF(B1:B5,"<"& B1:B5)),COUNTIF(B1:B5,"<"& B1:B5),0))}

#4 let’s see the result.

To get the min value based on the alphabetic order, you can use the following formula:

=LOOKUP(2,1/(COUNTIF(B1:B5,"<"&B1:B5)=0),B1:B5)

Of course, you can also use another array formula to get the minimal value based on alphabetic order, just refer to the above steps to apply the following array formula.

{=INDEX(B1:B5,MATCH(MAX(COUNTIF(B1:B5,">"& B1:B5)),COUNTIF(B1:B5,">"& B1:B5),0))}

Related Functions

• Excel LOOKUP function
  The Excel LOOKUP function will search a value in a vector or array.The syntax of the LOOKUP function is as below:= LOOKUP (lookup_value, lookup_vector, [result_vector])…
• Excel COUNTIF function
  The Excel COUNTIF function will count the number of cells in a range that meet a given criteria. This function can be used to count the different kinds of cells with number, date, text values, blank, non-blanks, or containing specific characters.etc.= COUNTIF (range, criteria)…
• Excel INDEX function
  The Excel INDEX function returns a value from a table based on the index (row number and column number)The INDEX function is a build-in function in Microsoft Excel and it is categorized as a Lookup and Reference Function.The syntax of the INDEX function is as below:= INDEX (array, row_num,[column_num])…
• Excel MATCH  function
  The Excel MATCH function search a value in an array and returns the position of that item.The MATCH function is a build-in function in Microsoft Excel and it is categorized as a Lookup and Reference Function.The syntax of the MATCH function is as below:= MATCH  (lookup_value, lookup_array, [match_type])….
• Excel MAX function
  The Excel MAX function returns the largest numeric value from the numbers that you provided. Or returns the largest value in the array.= MAX(num1,[num2,…numn])…