Import data file but exlude information I already have in sheet?
 

I have a data file that is too large to import into excel. I would like to
import only unique records that do not ALREADY exist in the workbook. My
workbook contains roughly 8,000 people. I want to import new names from a
datafile but exclude people I already have in the existing workbook. Can
anyone help?

There is no "import and exclude" command in Excel so you have to do
something with the tools Excel gives you.

I've had situations similar to yours many times and typically I open the
second data file, identify the items not in the first list, and copy/paste
them to it.

To find the new items I use the MATCH function. Say my new items are in
column B of Sheet1 of New.xls and the old list starts in A1 of Sheet1 of
Old.xls.

In A1 of Sheet1 of New.xls I would enter this formula and copy it down new
to all the new col B items:

=IF(ISERROR(MATCH(B1,[Old.xls]Sheet1!$A$1:$A$3,FALSE)),"X","")

(The $A$1:$A$3 is an example; you'd have a much longer range)

Then wherever I got an "X" I know it's a new item. You can then use Data,
Filter, Autofilter to show only the "X" rows and then copy them to the old
list.

--
Jim
"Tom R" <Tom wrote in message
...
|I have a data file that is too large to import into excel. I would like to
| import only unique records that do not ALREADY exist in the workbook. My
| workbook contains roughly 8,000 people. I want to import new names from a
| datafile but exclude people I already have in the existing workbook. Can
| anyone help?