Adding two columns of information into one: stacking

**Maxflashhat** · 07-23-2013, 08:50 AM

Hey I have a problem.
I've been tasked at work to create a program with excel wheras you basically enter information into necessary columns and it gets filtered onto a final sheet with useable, sorted information. I have never really used excel before bar simple spreadsheets so this is a tad over my head. Regardless, I have managed to make the entire program work with the exception of one necessary formula which I just can't work out.

(I am using Excel 2003.)

Bassically for all my formulas to work in tangent with each other perfectly I need a formula that combines (stacks, not merges) all the information within columns A and B into Column M and in a way that any new information added to these columns in the future will also be added to column M.
Example:

A
Alsation
Border Collie
Labrador

B
cat
Cat
CAT
...
M
Alsation
Border collie
Labrador
cat
Cat
CAT

I don't care how they stack, but i need them to stack and not merge. I really am quite ignorant when it comes to excel so plead that if there is a viable formula to do this that someone helps me in that way, however if it is necessary for macros or VBA's or whatever then could you please be really clear and take time to describe the steps because I have no idea what these things are.
If anyone could help I'd be very grateful,
Thanks,
Max

**Richard Buttrey** · 07-23-2013, 09:50 AM

Please upload a workbook or a representative cut down copy, anonymised if necessary. It is always easier to advise if we can see your request in its context.

Show a before and after situation and if it's not blindingly obvious how you have arrived at your results some explanatory notes as well.

One obvious question is if you have freedom in designing this, why are you adding data into two columns when on the face of it you could just as easily enter directly into a stacked list.

It might be a good idea to explain in fairly general terms the overall aim (without getting bogged down in too much detail) since there may be a better way of achieving this than the way in which you've started.

**Maxflashhat** · 07-23-2013, 10:16 AM

Hey, thanks for your response.

In all honesty, theres so much irrelvant information in the spreadsheet that trying to decipher it all into an online workbook would take me as long as the task itself.

The answer to your question is that the information entered into the first three or so columns are basicaly lists of names of individulas that have certain characteristics. This worksheet can be added to by anyone, who would enter the name of a person into all the relevant columns, depending on which they match, and this is eventually filtered to put each person into one column, on a different sheet depending on their situation. In order for my filters to work and establish how many of the cahracteristics each specific person has I have had to make a number of columns that exchange data which can then be used in formulas to remove or show up duplicates and sort them appropriatly. I really don't want to change any of this as it all works fine. Because it is to be used by the whole office, the information entry columns have to remain very simple, what I'm trying to set up is bassically a 'code' column that works as a vector, or filter, for the data entered in the first few.

All I want is a formula that adds two columns of cells together into another ON TOP of each other. If there is such a way then everything works. If the only way is through a macro or VBA then I would be very thankful if anyone, or yourslef could help me along that line.
Thanks again!
Max