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Exact

Syntax:

EXACT(text1, text2)

  • text1: The first text string to be compared.
  • text2: The second text string to be compared.

Description:

The EXACT function in Excel is used to compare two text strings to determine if they are exactly the same. The function is case-sensitive and checks for both character matches and capitalization.

It is particularly useful when you want to validate data and ensure uniformity, especially when managing case-sensitive data such as passwords or IDs.

For example:

EXACT(text1, text2) = TRUE or FALSE

Examples:

  1. =EXACT("Hello", "Hello") would return TRUE, because the text strings are identical in both content and case.
  2. =EXACT("Data", "data") would return FALSE, because the function is case-sensitive, and "D" is not the same as " d".
  3. =EXACT("123", "123 ") would return FALSE, because the second text string contains an additional space character.
  4. =EXACT("Excel", "excel") would return FALSE, because "E" (uppercase) is not the same as "e" (lowercase).
  5. =EXACT("TEXT", "TEXT") would return TRUE, since both strings are identical and in the same case.

Notes:

  • The EXACT function is case-sensitive, which means that "ABC" is not the same as "abc".
  • It is often used to validate user inputs, match case-sensitive strings, or detect differences in data.
  • If both text strings are exactly the same, the function returns TRUE. Otherwise, it returns FALSE.
  • The function can compare text, numbers, and special characters, but it does not ignore extra spaces or hidden characters.
  • If either of the arguments is empty, the result would be FALSE (e.g., =EXACT("Text", "")).