compare two columns in excel and delete matches

#Compare two columns in excel and delete matches how to
#Compare two columns in excel and delete matches code
#Compare two columns in excel and delete matches plus

If no match is found, the formula returns 'No match in B', an empty string otherwise: Suppose you have 2 lists of data in Excel, and you want to find all values (numbers, dates or text strings) which are in column A but not in column B.įor this, you can embed the COUNTIF($B:$B, $A2)=0 function in IF's logical test and check if it returns zero (no match is found) or any other number (at least 1 match is found).įor instance, the following IF/COUNTIF formula searches across the entire column B for the value in cell A2.

#Compare two columns in excel and delete matches how to

=IF(COUNTIF(B2:D2,A2)+COUNTIF(C2:D2,B2)+(C2=D2)=0,'Unique','Match') How to compare two columns in Excel for matches and differences If the count is 0, the formula returns 'Unique', 'Match' otherwise. The first COUNTIF counts how many columns have the same value as in the 1 st column, the second COUNTIF counts how many of the remaining columns are equal to the 2 nd column, and so on. In this case, a better solution would be adding up several COUNTIF functions. In case there are many columns to compare, your OR statement may grow too big in size. If you are looking for a way to compare columns for any two or more cells with the same values within the same row, use an IF formula with an OR statement: Find matches in any two cells in the same row Where 5 is the number of columns you are comparing.Įxample 2. If your table has a lot of columns, a more elegant solution would be using the COUNTIF function: If your table has three or more columns and you want to find rows that have the same values in all cells, an IF formula with an AND statement will work a treat: Find matches in all cells within the same row

Find rows with the same values in any 2 columns ( Example 2)Įxample 1.

Find rows with the same values in all columns ( Example 1).

In your Excel worksheets, multiple columns can be compared based on the following criteria: To find case-sensitive differences in the same row, enter the corresponding text ('Unique' in this example) in the 3 rd argument of the IF function, e.g.:Ĭompare multiple columns for matches in the same row If you want to find case-sensitive matches between 2 columns in each row, then use the EXACT function: Compare two lists for case-sensitive matches in the same rowĪs you have probably noticed, the formulas from the previous example ignore case when comparing text values, as in row 10 in the screenshot above. Here is an example showing how to filter matches and differences between 2 columns.

You can also compare two columns row-by-row using Excel Advanced Filter. To find cells in the same row with different values, simply replace the equals sign with the non-equality sign ():Īnd of course, nothing prevents you from finding both matches and differences with a single formula:Īs you see, the formula handles numbers, dates, times and text strings equally well. To find cells within the same row having the same content, A2 and B2 in this example, the formula is as follows:

#Compare two columns in excel and delete matches plus

As you do this, the cursor changes to the plus sign: Enter the formula in some other column in the same row, and then copy it down to other cells by dragging the fill handle (a small square in the bottom-right corner of the selected cell). To compare two columns in Excel row-by-row, write a usual IF formula that compares the first two cells.

Compare two columns for matches or differences in the same row This task can be done by using the IF function, as demonstrated in the following examples. When you do data analysis in Excel, one of the most frequent tasks is comparing data in each individual row. They are identifiable with a special user flair.Ī community since MaAsking a question? Describe if you are using Excel (include version and operating system!), Google Sheets, or another spreadsheet application.How to compare 2 columns in Excel row-by-row Occasionally Microsoft developers will post or comment.

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#Compare two columns in excel and delete matches code

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