should i change the ISNUMBER command?

No. Try it just like it is! (adjust the range references as needed)

MATCH will return either a number (meaning there is a match) or an error
(meaning there is no match). ISNUMBER tests whether the MATCH function
returned a number or an error. When MATCH returns a number the formula
result is 1. When MATCH returns an error the formula result is 0.

Biff

"Excel Function Application"
m wrote in message
...
thank you for your response.

i must clarify, the value in each cell are words not numbers (eg: smith,
joe
1253).

the columns are identical in terms of spelling, grammar, spacing, etc.

i just need to identify new names added to this list. the names would
show
up in column A but be absent from column B.

should i change the ISNUMBER command?

"T. Valko" wrote:

Try this:

=--ISNUMBER(MATCH(B1,A$1:A$1443,0))

Copy down as needed

Biff

"Excel Function Application" <Excel Function
wrote in message
...
I have two columns range(A1:B1443). All I need to do is take the value
of
B1
and compare it to every item in column A. If this value appears in
column
A
at all, I would like C1 to return a value of 1, and if it does not
appear
I
would like C1 to return a value of 0.