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Text function

LENB

Returns the number of bytes in a text string, for double-byte languages.

Rarely usedDifficulty 1200 · ProficientUsage rank #266 of 520
Practice · 2 questions →

When to use it

The length in bytes: double-byte characters count 2 on DBCS systems.

The shape of it

Syntax
=LENB(text)

Worked examples

  • Double-byte

    =LENB("東京都") → 6

    Three double-byte characters.

  • Single-byte

    =LENB("abc") → 3

    Single-byte text.

  • Detect double-byte

    =LENB(A2)<>LEN(A2) → TRUE

    Detects double-byte characters in a cell.

Worth knowing

  • A quick test for DBCS content when validating fixed-width exports.
  • LEN counts characters.
  • Only meaningful with a DBCS language installed.

Where it goes wrong

  • Equals LEN on non-DBCS systems.
  • Not the UTF-8 byte length.

Related

LEFTRIGHTLENTRIMUPPERLOWER

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