Output first Match Found if Cells contain Duplicate Text

[JohnTravolski]

Suppose I have several a range of cells, each cell of which contain a string, and I want a function to look at this range and output "FALSE" if all strings in the range are unique from each other and I want it to output the first duplicate it finds if there are at least two cells with the same value. Examples of what I'm wanting:

Cells: A, B, C, D, E
Output: FALSE

Cells: A, B, C, D, A:
Output: A

Cells: A, B, C, B, A:
Output: A

Cells: A, B, C, B, D
Output: B

Is it possible to write an Excel function that does this? (It's not imperative how the 'first' match is defined; what's important is that it just outputs one of the matches.)

 

[Akuini]

Try this:

[FONT=Lucida Console][COLOR=Royalblue]Function[/COLOR] try77(r [COLOR=Royalblue]As[/COLOR] Range) [COLOR=Royalblue]As[/COLOR] [COLOR=Royalblue]Variant[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Royalblue]Dim[/COLOR] c [COLOR=Royalblue]As[/COLOR] Range
[COLOR=Royalblue]Dim[/COLOR] z
z = False
    
    [COLOR=Royalblue]For[/COLOR] [COLOR=Royalblue]Each[/COLOR] c In r
        [COLOR=Royalblue]If[/COLOR] WorksheetFunction.CountIf(r, c.Value) > [COLOR=Brown]1[/COLOR] [COLOR=Royalblue]Then[/COLOR]
        z = c.Value: [COLOR=Royalblue]Exit[/COLOR] [COLOR=Royalblue]For[/COLOR]
        [COLOR=Royalblue]End[/COLOR] [COLOR=Royalblue]If[/COLOR]
    [COLOR=Royalblue]Next[/COLOR]

try77 = z

[COLOR=Royalblue]End[/COLOR] [COLOR=Royalblue]Function[/COLOR][/FONT]

 

[Peter_SSs]

For a worksheet formula approach, try this array formula (requires Excel 2013 or later). It should be entered without the {} but confirmed with Ctrl+Shift+Enter, not just Enter. If confirmed correctly, Excel will insert the {}. The formula can then be copied down.

<b>Dupes</b><br /><br /><table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:8pt; background-color:#ffffff; padding-left:2pt; padding-right:2pt; "> <colgroup><col style="font-weight:bold; width:30px; " /><col style="width:28px;" /><col style="width:28px;" /><col style="width:28px;" /><col style="width:28px;" /><col style="width:28px;" /><col style="width:30px;" /><col style="width:61px;" /></colgroup><tr style="background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; font-size:8pt; "><td > </td><td >A</td><td >B</td><td >C</td><td >D</td><td >E</td><td >F</td><td >G</td></tr><tr style="height:21px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >1</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">C</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">D</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">E</td><td style="font-size:10pt; "> </td><td style="font-size:10pt; text-align:right; ">FALSE</td></tr><tr style="height:21px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >2</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">C</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">D</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td><td style="font-size:10pt; "> </td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td></tr><tr style="height:21px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >3</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">C</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td><td style="font-size:10pt; "> </td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td></tr><tr style="height:21px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >4</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">C</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">D</td><td style="font-size:10pt; "> </td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td></tr></table><br /><table style="font-family:Arial; font-size:10pt; border-style: groove ;border-color:#00ff00;background-color:#fffcf9; color:#000000; "><tr><td ><b>Spreadsheet Formulas</b></td></tr><tr><td ><table border = "1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="font-family:Arial; font-size:9pt;"><tr style="background-color:#cacaca; font-size:10pt;"><td >Cell</td><td >Formula</td></tr><tr><td >G1</td><td >{=IFNA(INDEX<span style=' color:008000; '>(A1:E1,MATCH<span style=' color:#0000ff; '>(TRUE,COUNTIF<span style=' color:#ff0000; '>(A1:E1,A1:E1)</span>>1,0)</span>)</span>,FALSE)}</td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td ><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt; font-weight:bold;'>Formula Array:</span><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt;'><br />Produce enclosing </span><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt; font-weight:bold;'>{ }</span><span style=' font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:9pt;'> by entering<br />formula with CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER!</span></td></tr></table>


Edit:

(requires Excel 2013 or later)

Otherwise
{=IFERROR(INDEX(A1:E1,MATCH(TRUE,COUNTIF(A1:E1,A1:E1)>1,0)),FALSE)}

 

[JohnTravolski]

Brilliant! Thank you very much.

 

[Peter_SSs]

Brilliant! Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

(And if you would prefer to avoid the C+S+E confirmation, you can use the marginally longer ...)

<b>Dupes</b><br /><br /><table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-family:Arial,Arial; font-size:8pt; background-color:#ffffff; padding-left:2pt; padding-right:2pt; "> <colgroup><col style="font-weight:bold; width:30px; " /><col style="width:28px;" /><col style="width:28px;" /><col style="width:28px;" /><col style="width:28px;" /><col style="width:28px;" /><col style="width:30px;" /><col style="width:75px;" /></colgroup><tr style="background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; font-size:8pt; "><td > </td><td >A</td><td >B</td><td >C</td><td >D</td><td >E</td><td >F</td><td >G</td></tr><tr style="height:21px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >1</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">C</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">D</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">E</td><td style="font-size:10pt; "> </td><td style="font-size:10pt; text-align:right; ">FALSE</td></tr><tr style="height:21px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >2</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">C</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">D</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td><td style="font-size:10pt; "> </td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td></tr><tr style="height:21px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >3</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">C</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td><td style="font-size:10pt; "> </td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td></tr><tr style="height:21px ;" ><td style="font-size:8pt; background-color:#cacaca; text-align:center; " >4</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">A</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">C</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">D</td><td style="font-size:10pt; "> </td><td style="font-size:10pt; ">B</td></tr></table><br /><table style="font-family:Arial; font-size:10pt; border-style: groove ;border-color:#00ff00;background-color:#fffcf9; color:#000000; "><tr><td ><b>Spreadsheet Formulas</b></td></tr><tr><td ><table border = "1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="font-family:Arial; font-size:9pt;"><tr style="background-color:#cacaca; font-size:10pt;"><td >Cell</td><td >Formula</td></tr><tr><td >G1</td><td >=IFNA(INDEX<span style=' color:008000; '>(A1:E1,MATCH<span style=' color:#0000ff; '>(TRUE,INDEX<span style=' color:#ff0000; '>(COUNTIF<span style=' color:#804000; '>(A1:E1,A1:E1)</span>>1,0)</span>,0)</span>)</span>,FALSE)</td></tr></table></td></tr></table>

 

[JohnTravolski]

For some reason your code is now a jumble of html. I put it in an html document to view it and will post a screenshot here so people can see what you wrote:

 

[Peter_SSs]

For some reason your code is now a jumble of html.

It is due to the change in forum software. We hope that in the not to distant future all these "jumbled code" posts will be converted to readable content.