Excel function i want to know what function i can use when i want a center number to appear when a certain text is entered in a specific cell. let's say: if cell a1 is girl then cell b2 would show as 1

If you wanted to use a List of words and assign a number to each word:

Use a pre-set list (use Data Validation for best results)
Easy method:
Use as many columns as there are words in your list plus one.
If your list is Go, Stop, Pause then in the first cell write =IF(A1="Go","1","") in the second cell write =IF(B1="Stop","2","") in the third vell write =IF(C1="Pause","3","") in the fourth cell write =CONCATENATE(B1:D1) the cells holding the IF statements.

Note "" returns a blank cell, therefore Concatenating the cells will return only a single number.

Select the Columns with the IF Statements and Format - Hide. This will tidy up the working Spreadsheet.

The complex method (which I prefer not to use - creating long Linear Functions can be very difficult to get them right and to correct if wrong) would be to use a number of IF functions joined by the OR function in the one cell.

Good luck.

An2net21,

The simplest solution is to use the if function.
In your example you coudl use:

=IF(A1="girl",1,0)

IF "girl" is in a1 then b2 would show as 1.
If anything else but "girl" is in a1 then b2 would show as 0.