Unique identifier
I have a spreadsheet (Excel 2000) that contains around 10,000 rows. I now
need to be able to identify each row via a unique identifier, but am having trouble working out what to do when new rows are added or when existing rows are copied and paste. New rows and copied rows should get new unique identifiers, but I can see no way of doing this. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is nothing unique about the data that I can hang on to and the "SheetChanged" event does not fire for inserted rows in Excel 2000. This spreadsheet is owned by one of our clients, so I can't add new worksheets or columns to the existing workbook - I can just add cell comments (unless you have a better suggestion). Can anyone help? Thanks Steve |
Unique identifier
in a cell to the right somewhere in row 1 type =If(A1="","",row(a1)),and copy
down,as long as a has something in it you will get the row number,this will work for al data as long as you dont insert rows.if you did insert a row say between 12 and 13 then the new row would be blank 12 would remain 12 and 13 would become 14,you could copy the formula down each row would be indentified but evrything below the inserted would be different than before...does that help? -- paul remove nospam for email addy! "Steve Barnett" wrote: I have a spreadsheet (Excel 2000) that contains around 10,000 rows. I now need to be able to identify each row via a unique identifier, but am having trouble working out what to do when new rows are added or when existing rows are copied and paste. New rows and copied rows should get new unique identifiers, but I can see no way of doing this. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is nothing unique about the data that I can hang on to and the "SheetChanged" event does not fire for inserted rows in Excel 2000. This spreadsheet is owned by one of our clients, so I can't add new worksheets or columns to the existing workbook - I can just add cell comments (unless you have a better suggestion). Can anyone help? Thanks Steve |
Unique identifier
Hi Steve,
To cover all the scenarios you mention might be impractical, but for what purpose/usage do you need unique row identifiers, in addition to the fact you can always read row numbers. Maybe you could define worksheet level named ranges, these would move as you insert rows though would end up with meaningless names for deleted ranges (#REF). Would you want 10k names though (but much better than 10k comments). If you were "allowed" to insert an extra column (hidden perhaps) populate with row numbers as values. Store the highest number somewhere (a cell or named formula). To cater for row inserts & new rows at the end, in selection and/or change events check the identifier cell has a value. If not increment the stored highest number and place same as the new identifier. But with the limitations imposed by your client you are a bit strapped! Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I have a spreadsheet (Excel 2000) that contains around 10,000 rows. I now need to be able to identify each row via a unique identifier, but am having trouble working out what to do when new rows are added or when existing rows are copied and paste. New rows and copied rows should get new unique identifiers, but I can see no way of doing this. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is nothing unique about the data that I can hang on to and the "SheetChanged" event does not fire for inserted rows in Excel 2000. This spreadsheet is owned by one of our clients, so I can't add new worksheets or columns to the existing workbook - I can just add cell comments (unless you have a better suggestion). Can anyone help? Thanks Steve |
Unique identifier
Afraid my suggestion about storing values etc doesn't cater for possibility
of entire row being copied ):- Peter T "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... Hi Steve, To cover all the scenarios you mention might be impractical, but for what purpose/usage do you need unique row identifiers, in addition to the fact you can always read row numbers. Maybe you could define worksheet level named ranges, these would move as you insert rows though would end up with meaningless names for deleted ranges (#REF). Would you want 10k names though (but much better than 10k comments). If you were "allowed" to insert an extra column (hidden perhaps) populate with row numbers as values. Store the highest number somewhere (a cell or named formula). To cater for row inserts & new rows at the end, in selection and/or change events check the identifier cell has a value. If not increment the stored highest number and place same as the new identifier. But with the limitations imposed by your client you are a bit strapped! Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I have a spreadsheet (Excel 2000) that contains around 10,000 rows. I now need to be able to identify each row via a unique identifier, but am having trouble working out what to do when new rows are added or when existing rows are copied and paste. New rows and copied rows should get new unique identifiers, but I can see no way of doing this. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is nothing unique about the data that I can hang on to and the "SheetChanged" event does not fire for inserted rows in Excel 2000. This spreadsheet is owned by one of our clients, so I can't add new worksheets or columns to the existing workbook - I can just add cell comments (unless you have a better suggestion). Can anyone help? Thanks Steve |
Unique identifier
Hi
Not exactly what you described, but near enough: You have a sheet with column ID, where you need unique identificators for every row. Add a sheet ID, with columns FreeNr, Nr, Used, ID (headings in row 1) ID!A2=IF($C2=TRUE,"",COUNTIF($C$2:$C2,FALSE)) ID!B2=ROW()-1 ID!C2=COUNTIF($B2,Sheet1!$A:$A)0 ID!D2=IF(ISERROR(INDEX($B:$B,MATCH(ROW()-1,$A:$A,0),)),"",TEXT(INDEX($B:$B,MATCH(ROW()-1,$A:$A,0),),"00000")) Copy cells A2:D2 down for some reasonable amount of rows (you can expand this table later, whenever you run out of free ID's) Define a named range ID=OFFSET(ID!$D$1,1,,COUNTIF(ID!$D:$D,""&"""")-1,1) On your working sheet, select a range in ID column, and apply Data ValidationList with source =ID Whenever you add an entry, you are allowed only to enter (manually or from dropdown) unused ID's . NB! You can copy a non-unique value into ID column although (p.e. when coping rows). You can use conditional formatting to indicate such non-unicue ID values, p.e. through different font color - so you can change them. -- Arvi Laanemets ( My real mail address: arvi.laanemets<attarkon.ee ) "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I have a spreadsheet (Excel 2000) that contains around 10,000 rows. I now need to be able to identify each row via a unique identifier, but am having trouble working out what to do when new rows are added or when existing rows are copied and paste. New rows and copied rows should get new unique identifiers, but I can see no way of doing this. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is nothing unique about the data that I can hang on to and the "SheetChanged" event does not fire for inserted rows in Excel 2000. This spreadsheet is owned by one of our clients, so I can't add new worksheets or columns to the existing workbook - I can just add cell comments (unless you have a better suggestion). Can anyone help? Thanks Steve |
Unique identifier
I also need to "keep" the unique identifier once it's been set.
The purpose behind this is that I need to copy some data from the spreadsheet in to a database. There is nothing in the rows of the spreadsheet that "uniquely" identifies it so there is nothing that I can hold on to that makes the connection between the row in the spreadsheet and the record in the database. Theory said that, if I could put a unique identifier in each row and, once set, that identifier didn't change (so I can't use row number) then I had something I could make the connection with. I wonder if I could fiddle it with named ranges? Wonder if this would work... Initially give a cell in every row a "name" (Say row-nnnnn). Then, when the user inserts rows and copies and pastes stuff around, the named range shouldn't change - it'll stick with the original cell. Then, when I close the spreadsheet, I scan down the column with the named ranges, checking to make sure that every row has a range name (if that's possible). If I find a cell without a name, I add one. Must go and play... Thanks Steve "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... Afraid my suggestion about storing values etc doesn't cater for possibility of entire row being copied ):- Peter T "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... Hi Steve, To cover all the scenarios you mention might be impractical, but for what purpose/usage do you need unique row identifiers, in addition to the fact you can always read row numbers. Maybe you could define worksheet level named ranges, these would move as you insert rows though would end up with meaningless names for deleted ranges (#REF). Would you want 10k names though (but much better than 10k comments). If you were "allowed" to insert an extra column (hidden perhaps) populate with row numbers as values. Store the highest number somewhere (a cell or named formula). To cater for row inserts & new rows at the end, in selection and/or change events check the identifier cell has a value. If not increment the stored highest number and place same as the new identifier. But with the limitations imposed by your client you are a bit strapped! Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I have a spreadsheet (Excel 2000) that contains around 10,000 rows. I now need to be able to identify each row via a unique identifier, but am having trouble working out what to do when new rows are added or when existing rows are copied and paste. New rows and copied rows should get new unique identifiers, but I can see no way of doing this. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is nothing unique about the data that I can hang on to and the "SheetChanged" event does not fire for inserted rows in Excel 2000. This spreadsheet is owned by one of our clients, so I can't add new worksheets or columns to the existing workbook - I can just add cell comments (unless you have a better suggestion). Can anyone help? Thanks Steve |
Unique identifier
Problem is the unique identifier needs to identify the row it was originally
attached to. When the user inserts new rows, the unique identifier must NOT change. I'm using this as a way of connecting rows in a spreadsheet to records in a database. Thanks Steve "paul" wrote in message ... in a cell to the right somewhere in row 1 type =If(A1="","",row(a1)),and copy down,as long as a has something in it you will get the row number,this will work for al data as long as you dont insert rows.if you did insert a row say between 12 and 13 then the new row would be blank 12 would remain 12 and 13 would become 14,you could copy the formula down each row would be indentified but evrything below the inserted would be different than before...does that help? -- paul remove nospam for email addy! "Steve Barnett" wrote: I have a spreadsheet (Excel 2000) that contains around 10,000 rows. I now need to be able to identify each row via a unique identifier, but am having trouble working out what to do when new rows are added or when existing rows are copied and paste. New rows and copied rows should get new unique identifiers, but I can see no way of doing this. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is nothing unique about the data that I can hang on to and the "SheetChanged" event does not fire for inserted rows in Excel 2000. This spreadsheet is owned by one of our clients, so I can't add new worksheets or columns to the existing workbook - I can just add cell comments (unless you have a better suggestion). Can anyone help? Thanks Steve |
Unique identifier
They won't let me add new sheets or columns. To be fair to them, this
spreadsheet has grown out of all control (it's over 50Mb now) and has been messed with by a lot of people.Because of this, there are strict controls on what you can do to it and you need strong justifications if you're to add new sheets or columns. Thanks Steve "Arvi Laanemets" wrote in message ... Hi Not exactly what you described, but near enough: You have a sheet with column ID, where you need unique identificators for every row. Add a sheet ID, with columns FreeNr, Nr, Used, ID (headings in row 1) ID!A2=IF($C2=TRUE,"",COUNTIF($C$2:$C2,FALSE)) ID!B2=ROW()-1 ID!C2=COUNTIF($B2,Sheet1!$A:$A)0 ID!D2=IF(ISERROR(INDEX($B:$B,MATCH(ROW()-1,$A:$A,0),)),"",TEXT(INDEX($B:$B,MATCH(ROW()-1,$A:$A,0),),"00000")) Copy cells A2:D2 down for some reasonable amount of rows (you can expand this table later, whenever you run out of free ID's) Define a named range ID=OFFSET(ID!$D$1,1,,COUNTIF(ID!$D:$D,""&"""")-1,1) On your working sheet, select a range in ID column, and apply Data ValidationList with source =ID Whenever you add an entry, you are allowed only to enter (manually or from dropdown) unused ID's . NB! You can copy a non-unique value into ID column although (p.e. when coping rows). You can use conditional formatting to indicate such non-unicue ID values, p.e. through different font color - so you can change them. -- Arvi Laanemets ( My real mail address: arvi.laanemets<attarkon.ee ) "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I have a spreadsheet (Excel 2000) that contains around 10,000 rows. I now need to be able to identify each row via a unique identifier, but am having trouble working out what to do when new rows are added or when existing rows are copied and paste. New rows and copied rows should get new unique identifiers, but I can see no way of doing this. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is nothing unique about the data that I can hang on to and the "SheetChanged" event does not fire for inserted rows in Excel 2000. This spreadsheet is owned by one of our clients, so I can't add new worksheets or columns to the existing workbook - I can just add cell comments (unless you have a better suggestion). Can anyone help? Thanks Steve |
Unique identifier
Hi
Then it's past time to redesign it! P.e. when there are tables, which are altered occasionally only, and which at same time contain a lot of formulas, then you can split them into separate workbook. In working workbook, you keep replicas of them, which are generated through ODBC queries, and are refreshed on open - as result those replicas contain only values, what may improve perfomance a lot. "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... They won't let me add new sheets or columns. To be fair to them, this You need to add a single sheet with 4 columns of formulas. On your working sheet, you have the ID column, or you have to add ti anyway. -- Arvi Laanemets ( My real mail address: arvi.laanemets<attarkon.ee ) |
Unique identifier
I fully agree, it should be scrapped and rewritten as a proper database app,
which is what it always should have been. Unfortunately, it started life as a couple of hundred rows and just grew. As with all such systems, no one really noticed until it started getting painful to add new entries and it was too late by then, as they were committed. My latest solution required named ranges on every row - I'm just not sure yet whether I can take a cell address and find the named range that contains it. Steve "Arvi Laanemets" wrote in message ... Hi Then it's past time to redesign it! P.e. when there are tables, which are altered occasionally only, and which at same time contain a lot of formulas, then you can split them into separate workbook. In working workbook, you keep replicas of them, which are generated through ODBC queries, and are refreshed on open - as result those replicas contain only values, what may improve perfomance a lot. "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... They won't let me add new sheets or columns. To be fair to them, this You need to add a single sheet with 4 columns of formulas. On your working sheet, you have the ID column, or you have to add ti anyway. -- Arvi Laanemets ( My real mail address: arvi.laanemets<attarkon.ee ) |
Unique identifier
The "values" I suggested adding won't change. To initialise put the row
number as a value in each cell of a (hidden) column. In future events if there is no value the relative cell maybe something like - thisrowIDcellInColA = Application.Max(Columns("A")) + 1 But would need to figure something if user copy/pastes the entire row. Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I also need to "keep" the unique identifier once it's been set. The purpose behind this is that I need to copy some data from the spreadsheet in to a database. There is nothing in the rows of the spreadsheet that "uniquely" identifies it so there is nothing that I can hold on to that makes the connection between the row in the spreadsheet and the record in the database. Theory said that, if I could put a unique identifier in each row and, once set, that identifier didn't change (so I can't use row number) then I had something I could make the connection with. I wonder if I could fiddle it with named ranges? Wonder if this would work... Initially give a cell in every row a "name" (Say row-nnnnn). Then, when the user inserts rows and copies and pastes stuff around, the named range shouldn't change - it'll stick with the original cell. Then, when I close the spreadsheet, I scan down the column with the named ranges, checking to make sure that every row has a range name (if that's possible). If I find a cell without a name, I add one. Must go and play... Thanks Steve "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... Afraid my suggestion about storing values etc doesn't cater for possibility of entire row being copied ):- Peter T "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... Hi Steve, To cover all the scenarios you mention might be impractical, but for what purpose/usage do you need unique row identifiers, in addition to the fact you can always read row numbers. Maybe you could define worksheet level named ranges, these would move as you insert rows though would end up with meaningless names for deleted ranges (#REF). Would you want 10k names though (but much better than 10k comments). If you were "allowed" to insert an extra column (hidden perhaps) populate with row numbers as values. Store the highest number somewhere (a cell or named formula). To cater for row inserts & new rows at the end, in selection and/or change events check the identifier cell has a value. If not increment the stored highest number and place same as the new identifier. But with the limitations imposed by your client you are a bit strapped! Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I have a spreadsheet (Excel 2000) that contains around 10,000 rows. I now need to be able to identify each row via a unique identifier, but am having trouble working out what to do when new rows are added or when existing rows are copied and paste. New rows and copied rows should get new unique identifiers, but I can see no way of doing this. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is nothing unique about the data that I can hang on to and the "SheetChanged" event does not fire for inserted rows in Excel 2000. This spreadsheet is owned by one of our clients, so I can't add new worksheets or columns to the existing workbook - I can just add cell comments (unless you have a better suggestion). Can anyone help? Thanks Steve |
Unique identifier
When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. You are
hammering at this with the wrong tool, and exceeding the design capabilities of a spreadsheet. This needs to be converted to a table in a database. -- Ted |
Unique identifier
If only clients listened.
"TedMi" wrote in message ... When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. You are hammering at this with the wrong tool, and exceeding the design capabilities of a spreadsheet. This needs to be converted to a table in a database. -- Ted |
Unique identifier
Think I'm there.
I initialise the spreadsheet by going down every row and creating a range name (on a single cell in the row). I also save the range name in the cell comment, so they're both the same. When they are ready to submit the spreadsheet to me for processing, they run an update process that goes down each row and checks to see whether the range identified by the cell comment matches the current cell address. If it does, everything is great and this is the same (logical)row that it was before. It copes with the user inserting and deleting rows because I'm using a named range, which moves up and down accordingly. If the user inserts a new row and then copies an existing row in to it, the new row will not have a range name and the cell address referenced by the cell comment will not match the current cell, so I know this is a new row and I can generate a new unique identifier, a new range name and a new cell comment. I'm about half way through the code and it seems to be holding water so far. It's proving easier to code than to explain, I'm afraid. Thanks for all the help. Steve "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... The "values" I suggested adding won't change. To initialise put the row number as a value in each cell of a (hidden) column. In future events if there is no value the relative cell maybe something like - thisrowIDcellInColA = Application.Max(Columns("A")) + 1 But would need to figure something if user copy/pastes the entire row. Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I also need to "keep" the unique identifier once it's been set. The purpose behind this is that I need to copy some data from the spreadsheet in to a database. There is nothing in the rows of the spreadsheet that "uniquely" identifies it so there is nothing that I can hold on to that makes the connection between the row in the spreadsheet and the record in the database. Theory said that, if I could put a unique identifier in each row and, once set, that identifier didn't change (so I can't use row number) then I had something I could make the connection with. I wonder if I could fiddle it with named ranges? Wonder if this would work... Initially give a cell in every row a "name" (Say row-nnnnn). Then, when the user inserts rows and copies and pastes stuff around, the named range shouldn't change - it'll stick with the original cell. Then, when I close the spreadsheet, I scan down the column with the named ranges, checking to make sure that every row has a range name (if that's possible). If I find a cell without a name, I add one. Must go and play... Thanks Steve "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... Afraid my suggestion about storing values etc doesn't cater for possibility of entire row being copied ):- Peter T "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... Hi Steve, To cover all the scenarios you mention might be impractical, but for what purpose/usage do you need unique row identifiers, in addition to the fact you can always read row numbers. Maybe you could define worksheet level named ranges, these would move as you insert rows though would end up with meaningless names for deleted ranges (#REF). Would you want 10k names though (but much better than 10k comments). If you were "allowed" to insert an extra column (hidden perhaps) populate with row numbers as values. Store the highest number somewhere (a cell or named formula). To cater for row inserts & new rows at the end, in selection and/or change events check the identifier cell has a value. If not increment the stored highest number and place same as the new identifier. But with the limitations imposed by your client you are a bit strapped! Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I have a spreadsheet (Excel 2000) that contains around 10,000 rows. I now need to be able to identify each row via a unique identifier, but am having trouble working out what to do when new rows are added or when existing rows are copied and paste. New rows and copied rows should get new unique identifiers, but I can see no way of doing this. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is nothing unique about the data that I can hang on to and the "SheetChanged" event does not fire for inserted rows in Excel 2000. This spreadsheet is owned by one of our clients, so I can't add new worksheets or columns to the existing workbook - I can just add cell comments (unless you have a better suggestion). Can anyone help? Thanks Steve |
Unique identifier
Just thought I would add an alternative thought. As I understand the process you "process" the spreadsheet and you need to know what has changed between the last version you processed and the revised version you have just received. In this case If you keep a copy of the previous version (either the relevant sheet or the whole thing) then various forms of compare are available. The neatest, if the data allows for it (ie no long fields and value only comparisons) would be to use ADO to execute an SQL query. If you can control locations of spreadsheets and names I would be tempted to use an Access database with both spreadsheets as Linked tables and the queries encapsulated within the database. Doing it this way makes it easier to de-bug (I mean test) But you sound as though you are getting on fine already:) -- tony h ------------------------------------------------------------------------ tony h's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=21074 View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=498227 |
Unique identifier
I follow what you're doing but 10k comments!!! Surely client would accept a
helper column, very significantly less file size in an already big one. Lightly tested, but seems to work - Populate a helper column with row numbers as far down as necessary, in this eg col-A Sub setup() For i = 1 To 58 Cells(i, 1) = i Cells(i, 1).Name = Chr(39) & ActiveSheet.Name & "'!rowID" & i Cells(i, 2) = Chr(i + 64) Next End Sub ' in the worksheet module Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range) Dim bApos As Boolean Dim i As Long Dim lastRow As Long Dim nMid As Long Dim x As Long Dim sPrefix As String Dim rng As Range Dim ar As Range Dim nm As Name On Error Resume Next With Me.UsedRange lastRow = .Rows.Count + .Rows(1).Row - 1 End With x = Application.Max(Columns("A")) sPrefix = Chr(39) & Me.Name & "'!rowID" nMid = Len(sPrefix) + 1 For Each ar In Target.Areas With ar For i = .Rows(1).Row To .Rows(1).Row + .Rows.Count - 1 If i lastRow Then Exit For With Cells(i, 1) Set nm = .Name If nm Is Nothing Then x = x + 1 .Name = sPrefix & x .Value = x Else If Not bApos Then If InStr(1, nm.Name, "'") = 0 Then nMid = nMid - 2 bApos = True End If If .Value < Mid(nm.Name, nMid, 5) Then .Value = Val(Mid(nm.Name, nMid, 5)) End If Set nm = Nothing End If End With Next End With Next End Sub Try inserting rows, copy paste rows etc Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... Think I'm there. I initialise the spreadsheet by going down every row and creating a range name (on a single cell in the row). I also save the range name in the cell comment, so they're both the same. When they are ready to submit the spreadsheet to me for processing, they run an update process that goes down each row and checks to see whether the range identified by the cell comment matches the current cell address. If it does, everything is great and this is the same (logical)row that it was before. It copes with the user inserting and deleting rows because I'm using a named range, which moves up and down accordingly. If the user inserts a new row and then copies an existing row in to it, the new row will not have a range name and the cell address referenced by the cell comment will not match the current cell, so I know this is a new row and I can generate a new unique identifier, a new range name and a new cell comment. I'm about half way through the code and it seems to be holding water so far. It's proving easier to code than to explain, I'm afraid. Thanks for all the help. Steve "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... The "values" I suggested adding won't change. To initialise put the row number as a value in each cell of a (hidden) column. In future events if there is no value the relative cell maybe something like - thisrowIDcellInColA = Application.Max(Columns("A")) + 1 But would need to figure something if user copy/pastes the entire row. Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I also need to "keep" the unique identifier once it's been set. The purpose behind this is that I need to copy some data from the spreadsheet in to a database. There is nothing in the rows of the spreadsheet that "uniquely" identifies it so there is nothing that I can hold on to that makes the connection between the row in the spreadsheet and the record in the database. Theory said that, if I could put a unique identifier in each row and, once set, that identifier didn't change (so I can't use row number) then I had something I could make the connection with. I wonder if I could fiddle it with named ranges? Wonder if this would work... Initially give a cell in every row a "name" (Say row-nnnnn). Then, when the user inserts rows and copies and pastes stuff around, the named range shouldn't change - it'll stick with the original cell. Then, when I close the spreadsheet, I scan down the column with the named ranges, checking to make sure that every row has a range name (if that's possible). If I find a cell without a name, I add one. Must go and play... Thanks Steve "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... Afraid my suggestion about storing values etc doesn't cater for possibility of entire row being copied ):- Peter T "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... Hi Steve, To cover all the scenarios you mention might be impractical, but for what purpose/usage do you need unique row identifiers, in addition to the fact you can always read row numbers. Maybe you could define worksheet level named ranges, these would move as you insert rows though would end up with meaningless names for deleted ranges (#REF). Would you want 10k names though (but much better than 10k comments). If you were "allowed" to insert an extra column (hidden perhaps) populate with row numbers as values. Store the highest number somewhere (a cell or named formula). To cater for row inserts & new rows at the end, in selection and/or change events check the identifier cell has a value. If not increment the stored highest number and place same as the new identifier. But with the limitations imposed by your client you are a bit strapped! Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I have a spreadsheet (Excel 2000) that contains around 10,000 rows. I now need to be able to identify each row via a unique identifier, but am having trouble working out what to do when new rows are added or when existing rows are copied and paste. New rows and copied rows should get new unique identifiers, but I can see no way of doing this. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is nothing unique about the data that I can hang on to and the "SheetChanged" event does not fire for inserted rows in Excel 2000. This spreadsheet is owned by one of our clients, so I can't add new worksheets or columns to the existing workbook - I can just add cell comments (unless you have a better suggestion). Can anyone help? Thanks Steve |
Unique identifier
Frustrating, previous code aimed to cater for possibility of needing
apostrophe's in worksheet names, required in case certain characters exist in ther sheet name. But it's not reliable as is, eg in a sheet named "Steve's" the name would include a total of 4 apostrophe's, not 3. Need to define Worksheet level names correctly. ActiveSheet.Names.Add "rowID" & i, Cells(i, 1) In event code , amend With Cells(i, 1) Set nm = .Name If nm Is Nothing Then x = x + 1 Me.Names.Add "rowID" & x, Cells(i, 1) .Value = x Else If Not bApos Then nMid = InStr(1, nm.Name, "!") + 6 bApos = True End If If .Value < Mid(nm.Name, nMid, 6) Then .Value = Val(Mid(nm.Name, nMid, 6)) End If Set nm = Nothing End If End With Regards, Peter T "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... I follow what you're doing but 10k comments!!! Surely client would accept a helper column, very significantly less file size in an already big one. Lightly tested, but seems to work - Populate a helper column with row numbers as far down as necessary, in this eg col-A Sub setup() For i = 1 To 58 Cells(i, 1) = i Cells(i, 1).Name = Chr(39) & ActiveSheet.Name & "'!rowID" & i Cells(i, 2) = Chr(i + 64) Next End Sub ' in the worksheet module Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range) Dim bApos As Boolean Dim i As Long Dim lastRow As Long Dim nMid As Long Dim x As Long Dim sPrefix As String Dim rng As Range Dim ar As Range Dim nm As Name On Error Resume Next With Me.UsedRange lastRow = .Rows.Count + .Rows(1).Row - 1 End With x = Application.Max(Columns("A")) sPrefix = Chr(39) & Me.Name & "'!rowID" nMid = Len(sPrefix) + 1 For Each ar In Target.Areas With ar For i = .Rows(1).Row To .Rows(1).Row + .Rows.Count - 1 If i lastRow Then Exit For With Cells(i, 1) Set nm = .Name If nm Is Nothing Then x = x + 1 .Name = sPrefix & x .Value = x Else If Not bApos Then If InStr(1, nm.Name, "'") = 0 Then nMid = nMid - 2 bApos = True End If If .Value < Mid(nm.Name, nMid, 5) Then .Value = Val(Mid(nm.Name, nMid, 5)) End If Set nm = Nothing End If End With Next End With Next End Sub Try inserting rows, copy paste rows etc Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... Think I'm there. I initialise the spreadsheet by going down every row and creating a range name (on a single cell in the row). I also save the range name in the cell comment, so they're both the same. When they are ready to submit the spreadsheet to me for processing, they run an update process that goes down each row and checks to see whether the range identified by the cell comment matches the current cell address. If it does, everything is great and this is the same (logical)row that it was before. It copes with the user inserting and deleting rows because I'm using a named range, which moves up and down accordingly. If the user inserts a new row and then copies an existing row in to it, the new row will not have a range name and the cell address referenced by the cell comment will not match the current cell, so I know this is a new row and I can generate a new unique identifier, a new range name and a new cell comment. I'm about half way through the code and it seems to be holding water so far. It's proving easier to code than to explain, I'm afraid. Thanks for all the help. Steve "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... The "values" I suggested adding won't change. To initialise put the row number as a value in each cell of a (hidden) column. In future events if there is no value the relative cell maybe something like - thisrowIDcellInColA = Application.Max(Columns("A")) + 1 But would need to figure something if user copy/pastes the entire row. Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I also need to "keep" the unique identifier once it's been set. The purpose behind this is that I need to copy some data from the spreadsheet in to a database. There is nothing in the rows of the spreadsheet that "uniquely" identifies it so there is nothing that I can hold on to that makes the connection between the row in the spreadsheet and the record in the database. Theory said that, if I could put a unique identifier in each row and, once set, that identifier didn't change (so I can't use row number) then I had something I could make the connection with. I wonder if I could fiddle it with named ranges? Wonder if this would work... Initially give a cell in every row a "name" (Say row-nnnnn). Then, when the user inserts rows and copies and pastes stuff around, the named range shouldn't change - it'll stick with the original cell. Then, when I close the spreadsheet, I scan down the column with the named ranges, checking to make sure that every row has a range name (if that's possible). If I find a cell without a name, I add one. Must go and play... Thanks Steve "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... Afraid my suggestion about storing values etc doesn't cater for possibility of entire row being copied ):- Peter T "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... Hi Steve, To cover all the scenarios you mention might be impractical, but for what purpose/usage do you need unique row identifiers, in addition to the fact you can always read row numbers. Maybe you could define worksheet level named ranges, these would move as you insert rows though would end up with meaningless names for deleted ranges (#REF). Would you want 10k names though (but much better than 10k comments). If you were "allowed" to insert an extra column (hidden perhaps) populate with row numbers as values. Store the highest number somewhere (a cell or named formula). To cater for row inserts & new rows at the end, in selection and/or change events check the identifier cell has a value. If not increment the stored highest number and place same as the new identifier. But with the limitations imposed by your client you are a bit strapped! Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... I have a spreadsheet (Excel 2000) that contains around 10,000 rows. I now need to be able to identify each row via a unique identifier, but am having trouble working out what to do when new rows are added or when existing rows are copied and paste. New rows and copied rows should get new unique identifiers, but I can see no way of doing this. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is nothing unique about the data that I can hang on to and the "SheetChanged" event does not fire for inserted rows in Excel 2000. This spreadsheet is owned by one of our clients, so I can't add new worksheets or columns to the existing workbook - I can just add cell comments (unless you have a better suggestion). Can anyone help? Thanks Steve |
Unique identifier
"Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message
... I follow what you're doing but 10k comments!!! Surely client would accept a helper column, very significantly less file size in an already big one. The client has a tight change control system. Adding macros and a comments to a cell will be waved through as it's not perceived to add much to the worksheet. Adding a column to an existing worksheet will require a full review possibly taking anything up to six weeks to go through. The person who would have to put this through change control has, very honestly, admitted that he no longer has the will to even try as past experience shows that the protection afforded to changing this spreadsheet means that the first attempt to get the change agreed would almost certainly fail. It's frustrating, but very understandable. This spreadsheet has become key to one of their major processes and they're utterly paranoid about it's contents (comments and range names are not thought of as "contents"). Killer huh? Steve |
Unique identifier
Understood. The event routine I posted can work same way with cell comments
with only slight modification. Obviously read and, if necessary add new comment(s) or change the text in an existing comments in lieu of the cells. Only other change would be instead of the MAX formula, maintain a counter that only increments. This counter could be in a hidden shape or as a "named" value. In your first post you said you were looking for events to handle the changes(subject to testing the event code I posted appears to work), or is that effectively a macro that the client will not accept. FWIW, a named array can store 10k elements (values), though don't think that would serve any additional purpose. For my curiosity and only if non sensitive, are you able to describe why this 50mb DB can't be converted to something more conventional (and safe) and the "process" it is used for. Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... I follow what you're doing but 10k comments!!! Surely client would accept a helper column, very significantly less file size in an already big one. The client has a tight change control system. Adding macros and a comments to a cell will be waved through as it's not perceived to add much to the worksheet. Adding a column to an existing worksheet will require a full review possibly taking anything up to six weeks to go through. The person who would have to put this through change control has, very honestly, admitted that he no longer has the will to even try as past experience shows that the protection afforded to changing this spreadsheet means that the first attempt to get the change agreed would almost certainly fail. It's frustrating, but very understandable. This spreadsheet has become key to one of their major processes and they're utterly paranoid about it's contents (comments and range names are not thought of as "contents"). Killer huh? Steve |
Unique identifier
My original logic said that I should intercept the change event for the selected worksheet and, if new rows were inserted, I could pre-set whatever markers and unique identifiers I wanted in the new rows. By doing this, I could create the named ranges as the rows are added rather than having to rely on a user to run a macro before they send us the spreadsheet. This worked great on my PC, which runs Excel 2003. When I ran the same macros on Excel 2000 I found that the worksheet change event wasn't being fired when you insert rows - very irritating. Sometime around that discovery, I decided that worksheet events were a waste of time in this case. The reason they won't convert is because there is just no time to do a conversion and no experience within the department of anything other than Excel. It really is a simple case of "the devil you know". As with so many of these spreadsheets that I come across, they start out as a simple record and grow massively as people find that they contain useful information. By the time you discover that Excel isn't the most appropriate tool, it's too late to switch to something else without a formal investment of time and cash from the IT department. Steve "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... Understood. The event routine I posted can work same way with cell comments with only slight modification. Obviously read and, if necessary add new comment(s) or change the text in an existing comments in lieu of the cells. Only other change would be instead of the MAX formula, maintain a counter that only increments. This counter could be in a hidden shape or as a "named" value. In your first post you said you were looking for events to handle the changes(subject to testing the event code I posted appears to work), or is that effectively a macro that the client will not accept. FWIW, a named array can store 10k elements (values), though don't think that would serve any additional purpose. For my curiosity and only if non sensitive, are you able to describe why this 50mb DB can't be converted to something more conventional (and safe) and the "process" it is used for. Regards, Peter T "Steve Barnett" wrote in message ... "Peter T" <peter_t@discussions wrote in message ... I follow what you're doing but 10k comments!!! Surely client would accept a helper column, very significantly less file size in an already big one. The client has a tight change control system. Adding macros and a comments to a cell will be waved through as it's not perceived to add much to the worksheet. Adding a column to an existing worksheet will require a full review possibly taking anything up to six weeks to go through. The person who would have to put this through change control has, very honestly, admitted that he no longer has the will to even try as past experience shows that the protection afforded to changing this spreadsheet means that the first attempt to get the change agreed would almost certainly fail. It's frustrating, but very understandable. This spreadsheet has become key to one of their major processes and they're utterly paranoid about it's contents (comments and range names are not thought of as "contents"). Killer huh? Steve |
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:02 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
ExcelBanter.com