Tracking and highlighting 'like' data in different spreadsheets

**sallyz** · 05-12-2013, 10:14 PM

hello, i am a newbie and have a question. i've only ever used excel for budgetting, but now find i need in my 'revised' role, that i need to use excel to 'track' data that is 'repeated' in a bi-annual - a whole new world for me!

my question is, can excel 'track' or 'find' like data in a cell (in two different spreadsheets) and also highlight them for me. if so, how do i do this?
many thanks in advance for anyone's help,
sallyz.

**FDibbins** · 05-12-2013, 10:29 PM

Hi and welcome to the forum

What you want sounds do-able, but its hard to offer suggestions without seeing what you are working with.
i would suggest you upload a sample work book, (all sensitive data removed), showing what data you are working with, a few examples of what your expected outcome is, and how you arrived at that
To attach a file to your post,
click advanced (next to quick post),
scroll down until you see "manage file",
click that and select "add files" (top right corner).
click "select files" find your file, click "open" click "upload" click 'done" bottom right. click "submit reply"

Once the upload is completed the file name will appear below the input boxes in this window.
You can then close the window to return to the new post screen.

**sallyz** · 07-25-2013, 11:54 PM

thanks for responding to my post and sorry it has taken so long to get back to you (life getting in the way parenting/finding a new house/work - the list goes on). i still hope you are able to provide assistance.

i have attached the file. basically i will receive data bi-annually and need to find (in two spreadsheets, as sampled on the attachment) like data using the 'unit code'. the first and second page of the worksheet show the raw data - an example of what i will receive and the third sheet shows an example of what the desired outcome is, eg: i manually went through both worksheets to find the same unit code that was found on them both. this is fine for small amounts of data, but i will be receiving hundreds of data where i would need to find 'like' data as per the example.

hope you can help and appreciate any assistance.
thank you.

**FDibbins** · 07-26-2013, 12:15 AM

Welcome back

gotta hate it when RL interferes with stuff

Try the attached. I started by adding a helper column to sheet1 (using that as the basis) to add a "running count" of matching Codes. Then on sheet3, I used those codes to pull in the matching codes, and finaly a simple vlookup to pull in the title

**sallyz** · 07-26-2013, 12:21 AM

excellent will try, thank you. i am expecting the new data to come to me within the next 4 weeks.

i did laugh that i missed one on the sample sheet (when doing this manually), hence my initial worries!