# How to grab all text till the dash
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-to-grab-all-text-till-the-dash/16566
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [February 4, 2015, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-to-grab-all-text-till-the-dash/16566 "2015-02-04T12:54:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mirage0101](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mirage0101)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2015, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-to-grab-all-text-till-the-dash/16566/1 "2015-02-04T12:54:15Z")
Hi I have been looking for a way to grab the title and put it in the artist tag, while cutting it off till the dash.
So:
Title:
Aerosmith - Hole in my soul
Would convert to:
Artist:
Aerosmith
I know I can use: convert / tag to tag.
Then I wanted to use format string:
$left(%title%,$find("-",%title%)-1)
(which would mean, grab all characters left from tag title, until the dash). At least that would it mean in excel. Any idea how I can achieve this in MP3tag?
tnx
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2015, 1:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-to-grab-all-text-till-the-dash/16566/2 "2015-02-04T13:22:03Z")
> [@mirage0101](#):
>
> ... I wanted to use format string:
> $left(%title%,$find("-",%title%)-1)
> (which would mean, grab all characters left from tag title, until the dash). At least that would it mean in excel. Any idea how I can achieve this in MP3tag? tnx
**ARTIST \<== $left(%TITLE%,$sub($strstr(%TITLE%,' -'),1))**
Because you know the Excel scripting language, so you should be able to understand the Mp3tag scripting language as well, see Mp3tag manual help pages.
DD.20150204.1521.CET
---
### Author:  [@mirage0101](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mirage0101)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-to-grab-all-text-till-the-dash/16566/3 "2015-02-04T13:33:27Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> **$left(%TITLE%,$sub($strstr(%TITLE%,' -'),1))**
>
> Because you know the Excel scripting language, so you should be able to understand the Mp3tag scripting language as well, see Mp3tag manual help pages.
>
> DD.20150204.1521.CET
You're right, I didn't have a look at the strstr MP3 tag function...
And of course using action group would have done it too, but I couldn't stand I wasn't able to fix it using the excel functions..
tnx
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-to-grab-all-text-till-the-dash/16566/4 "2015-02-04T15:46:07Z")
> [@mirage0101](#):
>
> Hi I have been looking for a way to grab the title and put it in the artist tag, while cutting it off till the dash.
>
> So:
> Title:
> Aerosmith - Hole in my soul
>
> Would convert to:
> Artist:
> Aerosmith
> ...
What about the good ole "Guess values" (import tag) action for TITLE?
Guessing pattern: %artist% - %title%
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-to-grab-all-text-till-the-dash/16566/5 "2015-02-04T16:30:01Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> What about the good ole "Guess values" (import tag) action for TITLE? Guessing pattern: %artist% - %title%
Hmm, ... the OP's original wish was good for ...
Action "Guess values"
Guessing pattern: %artist% - %dummy%
DD.20150204.1829.CET