using IF statement to compare text
 

I have a long list of items in Excel. I have been trying to use the IF
statements to compare items in the list, so that I might delete the repeated
items.

Please note: the whole list is text. There are no numbers.

I have been trying to use

=IF(A1=A2),"same","not same"

but keep getting an error.

Please help, or perhaps suggest another function to use?

using IF statement to compare text
 

You are extremely close:

=IF(A1=A2,"e","ne")
--
Gary's Student


"RichN" wrote:

I have a long list of items in Excel. I have been trying to use the IF
statements to compare items in the list, so that I might delete the repeated
items.

Please note: the whole list is text. There are no numbers.

I have been trying to use

=IF(A1=A2),"same","not same"

but keep getting an error.

Please help, or perhaps suggest another function to use?

using IF statement to compare text
 

Ouch! Thanks.

"Gary''s Student" wrote:

You are extremely close:

=IF(A1=A2,"e","ne")
--
Gary's Student


"RichN" wrote:

I have a long list of items in Excel. I have been trying to use the IF
statements to compare items in the list, so that I might delete the repeated
items.

Please note: the whole list is text. There are no numbers.

I have been trying to use

=IF(A1=A2),"same","not same"

but keep getting an error.

Please help, or perhaps suggest another function to use?

using IF statement to compare text
 

Here's one way:

Assume your data is in the range A1:A20. The first instance of a value is
considered the original and is therefore not flagged:

To flag the repeats enter this formula in B1 and copy down to B20:

=IF(COUNTIF(A$1:A1,A1)1,"repeat","")

Biff

"RichN" wrote in message
...
I have a long list of items in Excel. I have been trying to use the IF
statements to compare items in the list, so that I might delete the
repeated
items.

Please note: the whole list is text. There are no numbers.

I have been trying to use

=IF(A1=A2),"same","not same"

but keep getting an error.

Please help, or perhaps suggest another function to use?

using IF statement to compare text
 

The error comes from an incorrect syntax.

Should be =IF(A2=A1,"same","not same")

Better formula would be this one from Chip Pearson.

=IF(COUNTIF($A$1:$A$300,A1)1,"Duplicate","Not Duplicate")

For more on duplicates management see Chip's site at

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


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

On Wed, 1 Nov 2006 12:56:02 -0800, RichN
wrote:

I have a long list of items in Excel. I have been trying to use the IF
statements to compare items in the list, so that I might delete the repeated
items.

Please note: the whole list is text. There are no numbers.

I have been trying to use

=IF(A1=A2),"same","not same"

but keep getting an error.

Please help, or perhaps suggest another function to use?