intelligent list comparison

[SQLScholar]

Hi all,

I have a very hard problem to solve.

If i have 2 excel lists of company names - and i need to compare them... unfortunately there is differences such as

one list may have fountain - the other may have fountain plc

one list may have foumtain - the other may have fountain.

one list may have FOUNTAIN - the other may have fountain.

and so on....

Basically i want to know who to make - or is there any software to buy that will do a vlookup style thing, but can take into account alot of these problems.

TIA

Dan

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There are 2 types of computer, the prototype and the obsolete!!

 

[Adnane]

Do you have other columns like City, Postal Code, Phone number? this way you could maybe create a key (it will be a combination of some characters from two or three field) that may help you match these two lists. it will obviously not be a 100% correct but it can significantly help you.

Adnane

Micorosft North Africa

http://www.microsoft.com/northafrica

 

[PeterMoran]

Hi Dan,

It would seem to me that your first task may be to sort or review just the first list and eliminate duplicates as far as possible in that list.

Once you have done that for one list you can move on and do it for the second list.

Then you may be able to compare the lists using some of Chip Pearson's ideas at:

http://www.cpearson.com/excel/InOneNotOther

Also ther are more ideas for comparing Lists under:

http://www.cpearson.com/excel/topic.htm

You are not going to be able to find software which will understand what you think is a match unless you can define specific rules. In your situation that seem most unlikely.

Good Luck!
Peter Moran

 

[SQLScholar]

Adnane

Would be nice - but unfortunantly not

Peter

I am looking for the InOneNotOther and i cant find the page - i keep getting errors.

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There are 2 types of computer, the prototype and the obsolete!!