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WadeSansing
 
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Default counting unique instances of text in a list


I have a list of names in excel. They change frequently.

I want to read the list and count how many times each name appears.
for example if I have:

bob
bob
tom
sally
frank
bob
sally

I want it to return:

bob 3
tom 1
sally 2
frank 1

I do not care if "bob 3" is 2 columns one for name one for count, or if
they comibne with a concatenate or something, as long as it return the
name and count together somehow.

I really need it to do this without a lot of manual intervention. I
don't want to do an "advanced filter" because I'd have to redo the
filter evertime I look for the info. It needs to be dynamic. Just
so you'll know I am actually pulling the data from a web query on a
second sheet in the book. I've kinda got it working now but have to do
the "advanced filter" every time I update data, and for some reason the
filter always doubles up the first name if it is in the list more than
once.

I also do not care how the data is given to me, this can be done with
VB (which I suck at) or standard excel formulas. I really really do
not care how it counts the names and return the answers for me, jsut so
long as it does. It can be a button I click and have a vb script add up
and return info in dialog box, or whaterver.

Can anybody help? It seems like this would be a standard function in
excel, but I certainly can't find it, or jsut aren't smart enough to
figure out how to use the function if I have.


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WadeSansing
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