Generating all possible combinations from a set of data and listing these in separate cells/columns.

J

jotun456

New Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2019
Messages
4
Hi everyone,

I'm looking for help with a solution to generate all possible combinations of a set of data, and have these combinations shown in separate columns.

Small example:
[TABLE="width: 500"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]a[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]z[/TD]
[TD]&[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]a[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]z[/TD]
[TD]&[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]b[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]y[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]a[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]y[/TD]
[TD]&[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]c[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]x[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]a[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]x[/TD]
[TD]&[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]a[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]z[/TD]
[TD]&[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]etc[/TD]
[TD]etc[/TD]
[TD]etc[/TD]
[TD]etc[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

I will be working with larger datasets than in the above example, possibly generating 1-2000 combinations.
I am open to either a VBA or formula solution, but have very little experience with VBA so please provide some additional info rather than just code if possible.

Is it possible to do this?

Thanks :)
 

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You can teach Excel a new custom list. Type the list in cells, File, Options, Advanced, Edit Custom Lists, Import, OK
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Based on your data starting "A1", Results start "F1"
NB:- Amend code for more columns !!
Code: 
[COLOR="Navy"]Sub[/COLOR] MG13Mar09
[COLOR="Navy"]Dim[/COLOR] n1 [COLOR="Navy"]As[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]Long,[/COLOR] n2 [COLOR="Navy"]As[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]Long,[/COLOR] n3 [COLOR="Navy"]As[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]Long,[/COLOR] n4 [COLOR="Navy"]As[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]Long,[/COLOR] c [COLOR="Navy"]As[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]Long[/COLOR]
[COLOR="Navy"]For[/COLOR] n1 = 1 To Range("A" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
    [COLOR="Navy"]For[/COLOR] n2 = 1 To Range("B" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
        [COLOR="Navy"]For[/COLOR] n3 = 1 To Range("C" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
            [COLOR="Navy"]For[/COLOR] n4 = 1 To Range("D" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
            c = c + 1
            Cells(c, "F") = Cells(n1, "A")
            Cells(c, "G") = Cells(n2, "B")
            Cells(c, "H") = Cells(n3, "C")
            Cells(c, "I") = Cells(n4, "D")
            [COLOR="Navy"]Next[/COLOR] n4
        [COLOR="Navy"]Next[/COLOR] n3
  [COLOR="Navy"]Next[/COLOR] n2
[COLOR="Navy"]Next[/COLOR] n1
[COLOR="Navy"]End[/COLOR] [COLOR="Navy"]Sub[/COLOR]
Regards Mick
 
Upvote 0
using PowerQuery

[Table="width:, class:head"]
[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td=bgcolor:#70AD47]Column1[/td][td=bgcolor:#70AD47]Column1.1[/td][td=bgcolor:#70AD47]Column1.2[/td][td=bgcolor:#70AD47]Column1.3[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]a[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]
1​
[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]z[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td]a[/td][td]
1​
[/td][td]y[/td][td]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]a[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]
1​
[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]x[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td]a[/td][td]
2​
[/td][td]z[/td][td]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]a[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]
2​
[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]y[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td]a[/td][td]
2​
[/td][td]x[/td][td]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]b[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]
1​
[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]z[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td]b[/td][td]
1​
[/td][td]y[/td][td]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]b[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]
1​
[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]x[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td]b[/td][td]
2​
[/td][td]z[/td][td]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]b[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]
2​
[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]y[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td]b[/td][td]
2​
[/td][td]x[/td][td]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]c[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]
1​
[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]z[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td]c[/td][td]
1​
[/td][td]y[/td][td]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]c[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]
1​
[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]x[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td]c[/td][td]
2​
[/td][td]z[/td][td]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]c[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]
2​
[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]y[/td][td=bgcolor:#E2EFDA]&[/td][/tr]

[tr=bgcolor:#FFFFFF][td]c[/td][td]
2​
[/td][td]x[/td][td]&[/td][/tr]
[/table]

Code: 
[SIZE=1]let
    Source = Query1,
    #"Added Custom" = Table.AddColumn(Source, "Custom", each Query2),
    #"Expanded Custom" = Table.ExpandTableColumn(#"Added Custom", "Custom", {"Column1"}, {"Column1.1"}),
    #"Added Custom1" = Table.AddColumn(#"Expanded Custom", "Custom", each Query3),
    #"Expanded Custom1" = Table.ExpandTableColumn(#"Added Custom1", "Custom", {"Column1"}, {"Column1.2"}),
    #"Added Custom2" = Table.AddColumn(#"Expanded Custom1", "Custom", each Query4),
    #"Expanded Custom2" = Table.ExpandTableColumn(#"Added Custom2", "Custom", {"Column1"}, {"Column1.3"})
in
    #"Expanded Custom2"[/SIZE]
 
Upvote 0
Thanks for the suggestions everyone - I am taking a look at the formula based method in appbox above and cannot get the formula to work. Could anyone help with this? I have filled in the top section as instructed and copied the formula from the example but all cells are just displaying 0.
 
Upvote 0
Unfortunately I am unable to use the HTML maker or add ins at work, I will have to look into this myself.

The issue is that the formula =INDEX(Symbols,MOD(INT((Line-1)*Cnt/Cum),Cnt)+1) in the https://app.box.com/s/47b28f19d794b25511be works within the downloaded file but not when I copy it into a new Excel spreadsheet.
 
Upvote 0
That's because it uses named ranges.

You could instead use that workbook and add what you need, or copy that sheet into your workbook.
 
Upvote 0
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