Comparing columnar data to row data

  • Thread starter Thread starter JC
  • Start date Start date
J

JC

I have two groups of data to compare. The first group is listed in
columnar fashion, like this:

item# price
0001 100
0001 150
0001 50
0001 100
0002 100
0002 150
0002 50
0002 100

i.e, each item number has 4 separate prices associated with it.

The comparison data is listed in row format, like this:

item# price price price price
0001 100 150 50 100
0002 100 150 50 100

I am trying to use conditional formatting or a formula to compare the
price data. Right now, I have the row-based data listed to the right of
the column-based data on the worksheet, so the column-based data list
is much longer than the row-based list (i.e. it takes 4 lines to list
the price data for each item in columns, but only 1 line to list it in
rows.)

A B C D E F G H
1 item# price item# price price price price comparison
2 0001 100 0001 100 150 50 100
3 0001 150 0002 100 150 50 100
4 0001 50 0003 100 150 50 100
5 0001 100
6 0002 100
7 0002 150
8 0002 50
9 0002 100
10 0003 100


I can create formulas, etc. to reference the correct data, but this
only works for a single line. When I copy the formula, however, the
relative reference automatically adjusts to compare a single row down
from the above reference, instead of looking 3 rows down to where the
next item# starts in the columnar-based data.
I.e., if I write a formula in H3 to compare D3 with B6, then copy this
cell/formula to the next cell down (H4), it will compare D4 (correct)
with B4, instead of B10 (which is what I want to campare it to).

Anyone know a way around this, or is it a built in limitation of
Excel's cell referencing functions? If the explanation is unclear I
would be happy to explain further.
 
Thanks for the link Marcelo, but it doesn't really address my issue. I
am having trouble with the relative cell references rather than the
comparison of the data between the two data sets.
 
Not sure what kind of comparison formula you had in mind, so I just did a
sample equality comparison that returns yes or no answers. So in H2, you can
put:
=IF(D2=OFFSET($B$2,(ROW()-2)*4,0),"yes","no")
That formula compares D2 with B2.
And if you copy the formula down to H3 and H4, the comparison will be D3
with B6, and D4 with B10.

-Simon
 
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