About to just give up...

[WoodMangler]

I am normally not this dense... or maybe I am .... who knows...

Duc... your Excel file does not work... some error... something about security level too high and macros are disabled... can't figure this out...

Doug... can't figure out how to make a .txt file into a csr... crs?.. whatever file... right clicking on the file on the desktop does not give me an option to save as a csr file, and when I use Excel and open the file all the data is in one column.

When I do get the file into Excel, separated into columns by the comma, I can find the dupes and remove them pretty easy using the sort function, but cannot get the data back into a .txt file so the program can read it...

AAaagghhhh!!!!

[CajunRider]

Call me on my cell. You have the number right?

[WoodDrummer]

Are you getting to the dialogs that CjR showed where it asks for delimiters, etc? You need to start with File>Import...

[Sawduster]

If you save the file mentioned in your last paragraph directly as a text file, your commas will be gone. Click File/Save as then in the file type box scroll down and find ".csv". Save it as filename.csv.

Exit out of Excel and go to Windows Explorer and find the file you just saved. Right click on the file name and choose "rename" from the drop down list. Simply append ".txt" to the file name. If the csv file was saved to your desk top, you should be to right click it and make the change there unless that option has been removed for some reason.

[JoeLyddon]

I tested the following and it Works!

This absolutely works...

1. Get your Scanned TXT file Opened into Excel (Doug's way is simple)
I copy/pasted into a Notebook file & Saved it.
With an Excel page open, I clicked "DATA", Import External Data, Import Data, selected file (of saved Notebook file), Delimited, Commas, starting at Cell A1.
I also had to increase the width of Col.s A & B (20, 20)

2. At this point, you have the Scanned File in Excel;
Starting in cell A1 with the Date and Time stamp and
Cell B1 with the Scanned Serial Number.

2.1 Select the fields to be Sorted A1:Bxx.

3. Click Sort, follow nose, and sort to:
Col. B then Col. A
You are Sorting Col. B then col. A all at the same time. Major seq, on Serial number, Minor seq. Date Time stamp.
By Serial#, by Date Time stamp.

4. Now, in cell C2, Enter (Type)
=IF(B2=B1,1,0)
This will give a value of 1 in cell C2 if it's a duplicate of the previous one or Zero, if not a dup.

5. Place cursor on Cell C2 and push ControlC to Copy.

6. Push Down arrow, to C3, and push ControlV to paste;
the value in C3 should be =IF(B3=B2,1,0)
Hopefully you have the auto advance set so it is now on Cell 4; if not, push the Down Arrow to get to C4 and Paste again... Keep going all the way to the last line with a serial number.
If your file is Updating after each Paste, you will see a 0 or 1 in Col. C.

7. Save your file for insurance purposes under Temp. Test Name.

8. If your file has not updated (executed it's formulae), Click to cause it to ReCalculate.

9. You should easily see "1"'s where there are dups; zeros where OK.

10. Manually Delete each Row where there is a 1 in Col. C

11. Save File for Good Records.

12. Delete Col. C

13. Save back to TXT file ready for your next step, whatever that is.

14. Eventually, you could combine your saved Excel files by opening the second saved file, Selecting all entries (Cols.A & B), closing that file & opening the First saved file, positioning cursor on at the end on Cell A, Push ControlV to paste. File 2 has been added to file 1. Save as ConsolidatedFile1, close, now open the Third file, select, copy, Open ConsolidatedFile1, paste at end, save, etc. until all files are pasted and saved.

15. Now, go back to step 3 to process the Consolidated file.

I hope you understand this. I hope I have not left anything out...
(Corrections are welcomed)

If you want to call me, I will help you.

Have Fun!
Joe Lyddon
Alta Loma, CA.
www.WoodworkStuff.net
My Small Gallery:
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showg...r=1389&cat=500

[TDHofstetter]

"If you save the file mentioned in your last paragraph directly as a text file, your commas will be gone. Click File/Save as then in the file type box scroll down and find ".csv". Save it as filename.csv."

YOU CAN ALSO go to File -> Save As..., select "*.csv" in the file type box. It'll handily offer to use the .CSV extension on your filename, but you can override it and WITH THAT TYPE SELECTED you can still save it as "filename.txt". The selected type should only control the format of the file (that's the format you want), and if you DON'T specify the .TXT file extension, it'll automatically give it the .CSV extension.

CSV, by the way, is "Comma Separated Values".

-- Tim --

Member of the
Robert "Limey" Bolton Memorial
International
Volunteer Mentorship and Assistance
Programme

[FrankC]

Marc, seems like you have got some pretty good information, can you not now take that to whom ever is in charge of your computer at work and get them to implement the procedure?

That way you will not be stepping on any sensitive toes.

Sawdust Making 101
http://sawdustmaking.com

[JoeLyddon]

... be sure to read my edited post...

Have Fun!
Joe Lyddon
Alta Loma, CA.
www.WoodworkStuff.net
My Small Gallery:
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showg...r=1389&cat=500

[JoeLyddon]

BUMP...