WOT: Excel Question

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ss Rat =EF=BF=BD|

I am assuming there's a key field in both Excel files and you want a new file that merges both (all) original Excel files whether or not there is data overlap (one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many) ?

Do you have MS Access handy? If so, it's a lot easier to do the merge that way. Let me know and I'll walk you through it.

If the two Excel files are layed out identically, there is another way, but not as "clean". And if the Excel files are identicial, and just contain non- overlapping data, it can be as simple as cut and paste between open worksheets.

Can you give more guidance on what you want to do?

-mpm

NO!

I think paste, then sort will work.

...Jim Thompson

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ss Rat =EF=BF=BD|

uoted text -

That will work just fine, provided there is no data overlap. -- otherwise you'll have duplicate records, and you'll have to delete them by hand after sorting.

If the various original Excel sheets don't have identical columns, you'll also have to cut & paste various selections to get them all lined up with each other (or arrange the column order manually before you cut& paste). Either way, sounds simple enough given your data.

-mpm

When I do this sort of thing, I generally make two sheets with the input data, then copy them to a third *by reference* (don't touch the original data). Use more sheets to clean up the third sheet and use it until there is no going back. ;-) Finally copy *contents* to another and delete the input and intermediate sheets. The idea is to leave the original data around as long as possible, at least until it's no longer of any use (obsolete).

Excel is NOT a database, dingledorf!

Wow. Really?

First, you're coming pretty late to this thread. Second, you're not very inventive if you can't figure out how to make Excel behave like a database. Third, you;'ve obviously never peeked under the hood (VBA for Excel), and most likely, you've never written a single macro for Excel.

Forth, you have bad manners.

Now go away.

-mpm

I have a NewsProxy filter that completely eliminates AnimalMagic and ALL his aliases. E-mail me if you're interested. I'll reply next week... I'm off to back east to 50th HS Reunion and my father's 90th birthday.

...Jim Thompson

OpenOffice Base does the same thing and it's free. Also, most computers come with a license of MS-Works. That's what I use for _all_ my business book-keeping tasks.

Excel 97 is fine, I use it here as well. But a spreadsheet is not the right tool for such a database effort. If they really want to use it the only reliable method I can think of is agreeing on times where one leader works on the file and then the other. Odd/even days, whatever. Shouldn't be hard. Then keep the file in an FTP location on your server. That's how I do that with clients who don't have such access or where getting IT to do it would be too onerous a task, I just give them an FTP area.

Actually, it is easier than that:

Excel 97 (and later versions) do support multiple user sharing. Simply go to Tools, Share Workbook, then check the box allowing changes by more than one user at the same time. (You can then set some rules on the Advanced tab)

Note: You will have to pre-determine some of the content (which you'll want to do anyway), because you won't be able to change certain things WHILE the workbook is shared. Things like: merged cells, charts, subtotals, etc... See Excel help for more info. You can always unshare the workbook if you need to make major structural changes to the worksheet.

-mpm

Interesting. I'll have to check into that since I always get a sharing violation if I want to open the same file on another PC.

I hope you croak while you are there.