Spreadsheet query
 

Is there any way to have my spreadsheet software tell me if an entry I make in a column was previously made? We're scanning in bar codes into column a but I don't want more than 1 listing for each item on the spreadsheet. I am hoping to do this in google spreadsheets, or office 03.

How to Highlight, Remove or Delete Duplicate Cells in Excel 2007?

HTH!

George

I use Excel and with the many versions of Excel, the procedure has changed a tad but is basically the same.

The formula is Edit/Find/Number you are looking for. Choose Next and it will find he first one, pause, and then find the next, and so on.

Other options are find & replace (but this is not what you are looking for). It's basically used for finding misspelled words and in that case, you would select replace all.

Hope this helps - excel can get frustrating when they jumble up the menues everytime they want to sell a "new' version but the fimction is still there. I'm sure other speadsheet programs are similar.

edit-find sounds like a really labor intensive way to do it. Is there a way to automate that so it performs it automatically each time he scans/enters a new number or are you talking about doing it manually each time he enters a number?

I would think that there would have to be a script or macro that he could use if aigel's method isn't automated.

I assume the ideal would be that you scan a number into a column, and the spreadsheet tells you right away if that column already exists so you delete it then and there and go on to the next widget?

these might be some other options
Determine if column contains duplicate value - ExcelBanter

VBA Tips & Tricks: Detecting duplicate values (Excel VBA)

Spreadsheet Page Excel Tips: Using Data Validation To Check For Repeated Values

Avoid duplicate data within a column? - Google Docs Help

What about using Excel Conditional Formatting? You can setup a column or row to highlight duplicate values in red (or any color). Then as you enter the info it will immediately change the cell color if its a duplicate.

Well, I'm not the OP, but if I understand what he wants, that sounds perfect. I'd never heard of it.