Sometimes in engineering and surveying, distances along a line or curve from a beginning point are expressed as station numbers. For example, the first point could be 50.50 feet from the beginning point and would be expressed as 0+50.50, the next point might be 136.68 feet from the beginning point and would be expressed as 1+36.68 and the next point might be 243.89 feet from the beginning point and would be expressed as 2+43.89. Can someone show me how I can get excel to add or subtract these station numbers?



Thanks in advance for your help.

I'm not sure I understand how this works. Does the number to the left of the plus sign always correspond to the hundreds portion of the distance?

If so, you can convert such numbers with the following:
=LEFT(A1,FIND("+",A1)-1)*100+RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-FIND("+",A1))

Gebobs,

Thank you so much , you are exactly right in your assumption. Now can you show me how to convert it back from a distance to a station numbner, i.e. 256.35 to 2+56.35.

Thanks again

Why do you need to convert back? You still have the unconverted station number in A1.

Because I will have to add a distance to the converted station number and then display the results as a station number

Just show how you want it displayed. I can't understand by your explanation what you want.

I want to display the distance 256.35 as 2+56.35

You've lost me. I assumed you already had that. The equation in post #2 depends on it. In that example, it assumes it is in A1.

In my first post I asked how I could get excel to add station numbers together.
example: (1+50.23) + (2+36.46) = (3+86.69)

You showed me how I could convert a station number to a gereral number by using =LEFT(A1,FIND("+",A1)-1)*100+RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-FIND("+",A1))

I can use that to convert (1+50.23) to 150.23 and (2+36.46) to 236.46 so I can then add 150.23 and 236.46 and come up with the sum of 386.69 but now I must display 386.69 as the station number 3+86.69.

I need a formula like you gave me above to convert the general number 386.69 back to a station number 3+86.69.

Let's start over. I assumed your sheet would look something like this:

A1: 1+50.23
B1: 2+36.46
C1: [the formula doing the addition]

At any rate, conversion back might work with:
=INT(A1/100)&"+"&MOD(A1,100)

It won't work if the number after the plus sign ever exceeds 100.

That's what I needed...thank you so much