Is there an elegant and quick technical solution to this?
Thread Starter
Red On, Green On
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6,490
Likes: 2
From: Between the woods and the water
Is there an elegant and quick technical solution to this?
I have two lists of company names, list A is about 800 long, and list B (which contains all of list A plus further names) is 1100 long. They are in txt form, and in alphabetical order.
Can anyone devise a tidy way of making a list that represents B minus A? I have Excel, Word, Access and a pencil at my disposal!
Can anyone devise a tidy way of making a list that represents B minus A? I have Excel, Word, Access and a pencil at my disposal!
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 8,121
Likes: 686
From: Twickenham, home of rugby
Have a look at GNU Textutils.
I use it a fair amount - it is the dog's undercarriage thingies! And being GNU it is FREE!
SD
I use it a fair amount - it is the dog's undercarriage thingies! And being GNU it is FREE!
SD
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 230
Likes: 0
From: Deepest Oxfordshire
AA
I would use Access mate (I'm assuming that you know the basics here). Import the two lists into separate tables, then create a new query which contains the company name fields from both lists. Create a relationship in the query design grid between the name fields of tables A and B using type 'Include all records from B and only those records from A where the joined fields are equal '. In the 'criteria' field under the company name field from B specify 'Is Null'.
Then simply run your query. The results displayed will be those records that exist in list B that do not exist in list A.
The beauty of this method is that as long as you save the query, and even if you subsequently update either or both lists (within Access, either directly or by importing the revised info) then it will still work as advertised.
Sounds complicated, but in practice should take no longer than a few mins.
Gadget
Feel free to PM me if you would like any more help.
I would use Access mate (I'm assuming that you know the basics here). Import the two lists into separate tables, then create a new query which contains the company name fields from both lists. Create a relationship in the query design grid between the name fields of tables A and B using type 'Include all records from B and only those records from A where the joined fields are equal '. In the 'criteria' field under the company name field from B specify 'Is Null'.
Then simply run your query. The results displayed will be those records that exist in list B that do not exist in list A.
The beauty of this method is that as long as you save the query, and even if you subsequently update either or both lists (within Access, either directly or by importing the revised info) then it will still work as advertised.
Sounds complicated, but in practice should take no longer than a few mins.
Gadget
Feel free to PM me if you would like any more help.
Plastic PPRuNer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,902
Likes: 0
From: Rochechouart, France
Have a look here - http://www.thefreecountry.com/progra...mparison.shtml
WinMerge - http://winmerge.org/ - is pretty good(and free).
WinMerge - http://winmerge.org/ - is pretty good(and free).
Plastic PPRuNer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,902
Likes: 0
From: Rochechouart, France
Also DiffUtils for Windows (free) - http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/diffutils.htm -if you can cope with the command line (not difficult).
Very fast.
Very fast.
