SUBSTITUTE(text, old_text, new_text, instance_num)

The SUBSTITUTE function substitutes new text for old text in a text string. This enables you to replace a specified text string with another text string (see REPLACE if you wish to replace text at a specific location in a text string).

text contains the text string that is to be replaced.

old_text is the text that is to be replaced.

new_text is the text that is to be substituted for old_text.

instance_num specifies which instance of old_text is to be replaced (if this is omitted all instances of old_text are replaced).

For example:

SUBSTITUTE("Happy New Year", "New Year", "Birthday")

returns "Happy Birthday"

SUBSTITUTE("Apri1/1/1997", "9", "8", 2)

returns "April/1/1987"

SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE("(x + y)/(x - y)", "(", "["), ")", "]")

returns "[x + y]/[x - y]"

See also:

Other text functions