filtering unique in multiple columns

[umniy]

I have a range of data in multiple (10) columns with headers. Headers may read: Name Description Holder Size Length, etc. Some of the data in columns are duplicates. I want to filter only unique record pairs in columns Name and Description, extracting it to a different place in the sheet. Example of data:

Name Description Holder Size Length
.5 DRILL chuck 1/2 8
.5 DRILL collet 1/2 8
.5 REAMER collet 1/2 7
.5 DRILL chuck 1/2 7
etc.
As you will see, entries in rows 1, 2 and 5 have the same Name and Description and may have different Holder, Size or Length. Row 4 has the same Name, but different Description, the rest may be anything.
I want to filter the data, so that I will only get two rows: row 2 (or 3, or 5) and 4, which have unique (.5 DRILL) and (.5 REAMER) combinations. The trick is to pull the rest of the records in rows C, D, ... along (and I do not care which row out of multiple selection I get; for instance, I would be happy to get either of three possible data combination for a result of a unique .5 DRILL pair)
.5 DRILL chuck 1/2 8,
.5 DRILL collet 1/2 8,
.5 DRILL chuck 1/2 7

If I set List Range to include all data, it treats the entries in all rows (including C, D, ...) as unique criteria. If I set List Range to just columns A and B, it does the trick, but I would not get the rest of the entries in columns C, D, ... copied.
Is this posiible at all to do?
Thanks for the help.

[Richard Buttrey]

On Thu, 2 Mar 2006 10:34:24 -0600, umniy
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>I have a range of data in multiple (10) columns with headers. Headers
>may read: Name Description Holder Size Length, etc. Some of the data in
>columns are duplicates. I want to filter only unique record pairs in
>columns Name and Description, extracting it to a different place in the
>sheet. Example of data:
>
>Name Description Holder Size Length
>.5 DRILL chuck 1/2 8
>.5 DRILL collet 1/2 8
>.5 REAMER collet 1/2 7
>.5 DRILL chuck 1/2 7
>etc.
>As you will see, entries in rows 1, 2 and 5 have the same Name and
>Description and may have different Holder, Size or Length. Row 4 has
>the same Name, but different Description, the rest may be anything.
>I want to filter the data, so that I will only get two rows: row 2 (or
>3, or 5) and 4, which have unique (.5 DRILL) and (.5 REAMER)
>combinations. The trick is to pull the rest of the records in rows C,
>D, ... along (and I do not care which row out of multiple selection I
>get; for instance, I would be happy to get either of three possible
>data combination for a result of a unique .5 DRILL pair)
>.5 DRILL chuck 1/2 8,
>.5 DRILL collet 1/2 8,
>.5 DRILL chuck 1/2 7
>
>If I set List Range to include all data, it treats the entries in all
>rows (including C, D, ...) as unique criteria. If I set List Range to
>just columns A and B, it does the trick, but I would not get the rest
>of the entries in columns C, D, ... copied.
>Is this posiible at all to do?
>Thanks for the help.

I think the best solution would be an additional helper column.
Assuming Name & Description are in cols. A & B then in the helper
column concatenate these with =A1&B1 then copy this down your list.

Now you can do a unique filter on this helper column.

HTH
Richard Buttrey
__

[umniy]

Thanks for the help,
I concatenated data in columns A and B. When I filter data only in that column, it works fine. But I need to copy all the rest of data in other columns with it. No matter what I do, it does not filter, trying to recognize unique records in all columns, not just in that helper column.
I am starting to beleive that my task is impossible to do.

[Pete_UK]

Once you have added the helper column to join A1 and B1, you can then
sort all the data using this field - I assume this is field 11, or
column K. You can then add another helper column L and enter this
formula in L2:

=IF(K2=K1,"Duplicate","Unique")

Copy this formula down and then apply autofilter to this column and
select Unique. You can then highlight all the visible rows for the
first 10 columns, click <copy> then move somewhere else (another
sheet?) and paste your data - only the visible data will be pasted, and
of course you will have data in all your columns as you requested.

Hope this helps.

Pete

[davidthegolfer]

I too had been struggling with Filter/Advanced/Unique and could not understand why it wouldn't work. I eventually gave up, searched here and used your technique. Worked for me.
Thank you very much.
Kind regards
David