compare two columns using a function called EXACT

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kimberly
  • Start date Start date
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Kimberly

Hi

I have two columns from a download they look like this

Column A ColumnB
01397 1397 ( I went into custom format and change
the 139 to all zero's 0000 and now
the number looks exactly like column
A 01397

I want to compare and exact match

I went into fx and followed =EXACT(A1,B2) I received and
answer of N which equals No???

If both column A and B or the same why do I have this
error???
 
I have two columns from a download they look like this

Column A ColumnB
01397 1397 ( I went into custom format and change
the 139 to all zero's 0000 and now
the number looks exactly like column
A 01397

I want to compare and exact match

I went into fx and followed =EXACT(A1,B2) I received and
answer of N which equals No???

If both column A and B or the same why do I have this
error???
Click to expand...

A fundamental concept of spreadsheets is that what a cell contains and what it
displays may be different. If I have the number 2000 in two cells, one formatted
to appear as 2,000 and the other as 2.0E3, the two cells' values are still the
same. With very few exceptions, Excel uses cells' values, never what they
display, though if what they display matches their values it may seem that Excel
uses what's displayed.

Your col A cell is very likely text rather than a number value, and your col B
cell contains a number. Comparing text and numbers requires some type coersion,
which is most easily accomplished by changing sign. Try =(-A1=-B2).
 
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