Trying to compare data in two columns...

A

accessgrits

I have two columns of data, one for serial numbers I have sent out, and one
where extended warranties that were purchased. Instead of always using the
find feature, is there a way to automate it so that the first column can
search the second to see if an extended warranty was purchased?

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
B

Biff

Hi!

There are many ways to do this but what exactly do you mean by have one
column search another?

How do you designate that an extended warranty has been purchased?

If the warranty was not purchased is the cell left blank?

What result do want if the warranty was or was not purchased?

Are the serial numbers unique?

Biff
 
A

accessgrits

Thanks for responding, what I'm trying to do is take a list of about 8,000
7-digit numberical serial numbers (column A) and a list of about 2,000 serial
numbers that have been purchased for extended warranty (column), so some of
the numbers in column B will also be in column A. Instead of going through
every serial number in column A and manually searching column B to see if it
was a serial that also had extended warranty purchased on it, I was hoping
for a formula or some means, that would take all the serial numbers in column
A and see if there is a duplicate of that same number in column B, indicating
it has an extended warranty purchased on it.

Does that make sense?
 
B

Biff

Hi!

OK, that's much clearer.

Very easy to do:

Insert a new column between column A and B or, just move column B over so
that you can put a formula next to the values in column A.

Assume your list in column A is from A1:A8000. The values in column B have
now been moved over to column C in the range C1:C2000.

In B1 enter this formula:

=IF(COUNTIF(C$1:C$2000,A1),"Yes","")

Double click the fill handle to copy the formula down to A8000.

Done!

Any serial numbers in column A that also appear in column B will be
identified with a "Yes".

Another thing that you could do to make those dupes easier to see is to sort
them so that all the dupes with a "Yes" are on the top or bottom of the
list.

Select both columns A and B
Goto Data>Sort
Sort by column B descending to put the dupes at the top of the list.

Biff
 
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