Excel Help! Rather Urgent too...

[jmacavali]

I need help with Excel. I have a list of users and I want to automate the process of creating usernames. I am going to add a number before the username, then it's the first 4 letters of their last name and the first letter of their first name then there will be an @XXXXX on the end. So here's an example for John Smith: ##SmithJ@XXXXX. What I need to know is if is a formula in excel that will let me do this? The Number (##) and the @XXXXX info will be the same on every users so that is constant. What will be different (obviously) is the names in the middle. Any ideas or thoughts.


EDIT:
I am able to get the ## and the @XXXXX and I can get the full first & last name. What I need is to be able to select only the first 4 letters of the last name and the first letter of the first name.

EDIT (again):
Sorry after posting I relized I was in the social lounge and not software where it belongs.

 

[J03]

OK, I've just had a go and I came up with:

=$G$2&B3&LEFT(A3,1)&"@"&$G$3

It's probably best if you actually see the spreadsheet:
http://78.32.84.162/excel/Username Generator.xls

 

[jmacavali]

Yes the Left command is just what I needed. Thank you!

Here's what my formula ended up being: ="##"&LEFT(B2,4)&LEFT(A2,1)&"@XXXXX"

Of course "##" is the actual number I wanted in there and "@XXXXX" is the ending I wanted on it. The quotes are there to indicate 'static' text and column B is the last names and column A are the first names. The Left command indicates it will look in the cell (B2) and take the first 4 characters starting at the left.