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How To Find Unique and Duplicate Records In Numbers?

How to find unique and duplicate records in Numbers?
I use the current version of Numbers on my iMac (also on iPad and iPhone, but I can do this on the desktop).
In Excel you can use conditional formatting to easily identify duplicate records and also unique records. Then easily delete duplicate records. How do I do this in numbers?
I have one database and I regularly get updates. The update is the same database with a few new additions. I want to combine the data from both, identify the unique entries, which will represent the new additions, then copy and paste them, or otherwise use them once identified.
Any ideas will be helpful.
—–
John W

Comments: 6 Responses to “How To Find Unique and Duplicate Records In Numbers?”

    12 years ago

    There is conditional formatting in Numbers as well.
    So it is just a matter of applying the right formula. Maybe the LOOKUP or MATCH functions will help. I'd imagine you could use them to create a column that shows if the same data is duplicated elsewhere.

    John w
    12 years ago

    I don't know how to do this. I find the conditional format but I can't get it to compare, match or anything. I dont even know how to add a formula.

    Any more advice?

      12 years ago

      There are lots of Numbers videos here at MacMost, so maybe start with them. Or sign up for a class in using either Numbers or Excel to learn spreadsheet basics. Hard to advise you without knowing your level -- but learning to use formulas is the first step to a lot of things.
      Perhaps get some first-hand help from someone with spreadsheet experience?

    John w
    12 years ago

    In other words. I have names in a Numbers document.

    Tim
    Gary
    John
    Jimmy
    Etc.

    Each week I get an updated list from someone else. It might be,

    Tin
    Gary
    John
    Jimmy
    Sue

    Currently I am manually going through the records trying to identify the new additions to the list. After my eyes are crossed and my head is spinning - I think there HAS to be an easier way. So I started - combining the names from the new list with my old list, sharing the file as XLS opening on an old PC to have Excel do the Conditional formatting and highlight the UNIQUE records. Delete all the rest and email the XLS back to the Mac and manually enter the few new additions.

    I really just need to quickly identify the new records in a database.

    And, I'm no database/Excel expert either.

    John w
    12 years ago

    Thanks Gary,

    I use basic calculations and do ok, generally speaking. But I can't seem to get a Match or V/H Lookup to work for me.

      12 years ago

      For instance, if you have your old names in column B. And your new names in column D. Then this formula in E2:
      =MATCH(D2,B,0)
      This will try to match the value of D2 to any row in B. If it finds it, you get a number (the number of the row). If it doesn't find it, you get an error (red triangle).
      Copy and paste into E3-Ewhatever. Then you can see the triangles where it can't find a match.

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