title: Boolean check in Excel, checking only first character
body: <p>I have an Excel sheet with data only in the first column, where each cell <em>starts</em> with the character H, G, I, B, H, E, S, C, or none of the above.</p>
  
  <p>I would like to write a command so that in the second column, one of four things will happen:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>If the cell in the first column starts with H, G, or I, then the cell in the second column is assigned H</li>
  <li>If the cell in the first column starts with B or E, then the cell in the second column is assigned E</li>
  <li>If the cell in the first column starts with T, S, or C, then the cell in the second column is assigned C</li>
  <li>If the cell in the first column starts with none of the above, then the cell in the second column remains blank</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>I found that this command does part of the problem:</p>
  
  <p><code>=IF(OR(B25="H"; B25="G"; B25="I");"H";"") &amp; IF(OR(B25="B"; B25="E");"E";"") &amp; IF(OR(B25="T"; B25="S"; B25="C");"C";"")</code></p>
  
  <p>However, this only works if the first column only contains one character. I would like to tailor this command so that it does not require there to only be one character in the first column, but that it simply <em>starts with</em> the character.</p>
  
  <p>I hope this makes sense. Please let me know if you have any advice!! :O)</p>