Checking for duplicates?
 

Can someone please tell me any easy formula/macro to use to check for
duplicates (text) in a column of text data?

Thanks! Eric

Checking for duplicates?
 

Hi Eric!

See:

Chip Pearson:
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/duplicat.htm

All you could want for handling duplicate / unique problems.

--
--
Regards
Norman Harker MVP (Excel)
Sydney, Australia

Excel and Word Function Lists (Classifications, Syntax and Arguments)
available free to good homes.

"Eric G" wrote in message
...
Can someone please tell me any easy formula/macro to use to check for
duplicates (text) in a column of text data?

Thanks! Eric

Checking for duplicates?
 

There are probably a million "better" ways but the following
worked for me recently:

Add a sequence column and extend it from 1-# of items
so you can later restore the data to the current order if you
need to do so.

Sort on the desired column(s) for comparison.

Write a conditional formatting rule to show the line in red IF
the value in this field matches the next line -- apply and all your
dups are easy to spot.

Resort is desired; remove the sequence or renumber as desired.

It's stupid but it's quick.

--
Herb Martin
"Eric G" wrote in message
...
Can someone please tell me any easy formula/macro to use to check for
duplicates (text) in a column of text data?

Thanks! Eric

Checking for duplicates?
 

Chip Pearson:
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/duplicat.htm

All you could want for handling duplicate / unique problems.

Thanks, I like your method better and need an extension:

CountIF (function used in your solution) doesn't have a "case
sensitive" switch. Is that a way to find dups like this with
case considered a difference?

(In case you wonder: My problem is actually in Arabic where
the short vowels and such are like diacritical marks -- Excel
uses "case insensitive" to mean "ignore those marks" which can
make an entirely different word.)

My solution is no better, so far....

--
Herb Martin
"Norman Harker" wrote in message
...
Hi Eric!

See:


--
--
Regards
Norman Harker MVP (Excel)
Sydney, Australia

Excel and Word Function Lists (Classifications, Syntax and Arguments)
available free to good homes.

"Eric G" wrote in message
...
Can someone please tell me any easy formula/macro to use to check for
duplicates (text) in a column of text data?

Thanks! Eric

Checking for duplicates?
 

Hi Herb,

Looks like a great site. Thanks a lot!

Eric



On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 20:42:52 -0500, "Herb Martin"
wrote:

Chip Pearson:
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/duplicat.htm

All you could want for handling duplicate / unique problems.

Thanks, I like your method better and need an extension:

CountIF (function used in your solution) doesn't have a "case
sensitive" switch. Is that a way to find dups like this with
case considered a difference?

(In case you wonder: My problem is actually in Arabic where
the short vowels and such are like diacritical marks -- Excel
uses "case insensitive" to mean "ignore those marks" which can
make an entirely different word.)

My solution is no better, so far....

--
Herb Martin
"Norman Harker" wrote in message
...