HELP! How to put an IF formula with "starts with" instead of bigger than or equal to

[debbedeb]

Hi,
I have the following data (x200 with all a different information that I
want to have an IF formula in the colomn next to the specific data when
if there is for instance for the line that says .MADZBIB that I want
only Excel to take the MID(cell;2ndletter till the 7nd letter) but ONLY
if the line starts with a dot (.) and for the ones that do not start
with a dot I want to Excel to do nothing. After that I want Excel to
place the first 7 digits after the dot in the cell.

The input:
Message is displayed from SITA archiv: 6353636 08.11.2006 01:05:23
QD HAMBI7X
..MADZBIB 072349 NOV06/AGNT9999/PID43007
#CAM
S1BOOKED/IBM/D4296/USD/1/
441/48011057301/D5331034701200/1/EA/2790.00/08116/MFR FAPE3/PRI AOG/
ACN 1027/PKG 0/VRN ESA28017648

=(IF(".";"MID(cell;2;7))")) does not work obviousbly because the line
only starts with a dot. How do I put this in the IF formula? That
instead of bigger than or smaller than or =, one for it starts
with........

Who knows???? I can not seem to figure it out and it has been taking up
a lot of my time to get it right...

I really hope someone can help me!

 

[Dave Peterson]

I'm not sure I understand...

with the data in A1
=if(left(a1,1)=".",mid(a1,2,6),a1)
or
=if(left(a1,1)=".",mid(a1,2,6),"")

 

[debbedeb]

What I want is that if you have all this data, that only in the cells
next to the data with a starting dot there will be the formula used to.
so if there is not a dot at the beginning of the cell there then the
cell is empty and if it does start with a dot; that the mid formula
only gives me the 2nd to the 6th digit in this cell.

Do you understand what I mean??

 

[debbedeb]

i want to basically copy the formula in the entire column without
having to delete it everytime for the ones that dont have the
information in the beginning that i want

 

[Dave Peterson]

Did you try any of the suggestions?

Did any of them do what you wanted?

 

[driller]

Is there an instance where the line starts with multiple dots or commas
?(e.g. ...,,,MADZBIBCGDCACDAC)
and u want to get only the 2nd upto 7th Letter = 6 Letters
(e.g. ADZBIB)

OR

your data is strictly either of the two instances? (e.g.)
1) .MADZBIBCGDCACDAC (formula result is ADZBIB)
2) MADZBIBCGDCACDAC (formula result is Blank cell "")

please clarify a little.