Excel Help

[korme]

I have a list of names in Column A, and a list of names in Column B, the lists are both the same size.

I am looking to concatenate column a and b, but what I can't figure out is how to pick the name from B randomly.

For instance, right now it's concatenating A1 and B1, A2 and B2 etc etc. I would like a random function where it randomly picks out one from column b, or even randomly picking from both columns.

Is this possible? If not, I could just scramble the lists but even that is something I don't yet know how to do.

[sterlingice]

Sorry, can't really help as I've never tried to do anything like that, but if you don't mind posting to newsgroups, the people at microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions are really helpful and I almost always get a response when I post a question about my hattrick spreadsheet.

When posting to a newsgroup, make sure to spoof your email address or else your inbox will become spam heaven. Spammers love to harvest emails off of newsgroup address lines and message bodies.

SI

[FrogMan]

Shorty, I've tried my hand at it. Some people moght have been able to come up with something easier, well, anyway... :)

Assuming I understand it right, here are the columns of data I had to start with, first names and last names...

<TABLE style="WIDTH: 108pt; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=144 border=0 x:str><COLGROUP><COL style="WIDTH: 54pt" span=2 width=72><TBODY><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt" height=20><TD class=xl22 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 54pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 15pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=72 height=20>First</TD><TD class=xl22 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 54pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=72>Last</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Bob</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Edwards</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Bill</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Smith</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Roberto</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Jones</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Sam</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Tate</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Jim</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Alomar</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

And here's a bunch of randomly concatenated names the spreadsheet came up with...

<TABLE style="WIDTH: 92pt; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=122 border=0 x:str><COLGROUP><COL style="WIDTH: 92pt; mso-width-source: userset; mso-width-alt: 3904" width=122><TBODY><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt" height=20><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 92pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 15pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=122 height=20>concatenate</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Bill Smith</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Bob Smith</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Sam Alomar</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Bill Jones</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Roberto Alomar</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Bob Tate</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Sam Tate</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Jim Edwards</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Roberto Alomar</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Bill Jones</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Sam Alomar</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Sam Smith</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Bill Alomar</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Bill Tate</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Bob Alomar</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Sam Smith</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Sam Edwards</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Roberto Edwards</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 14.25pt" height=19><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 14.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=19>Bill Edwards</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

The function to get a random number between 0 and 1 ir =rand(). The function to get a particular line in one list is index...

The file is available right under here. Have fun with it, ask questions if needed. Hope it helps.
http://webhome.idirect.com/~stevegougeon/concatenate.xls

FM

[korme]

fm, thankyou man!

and si, thanks, i'll keep that in mind for future references

[Craptacular]

Trying to come up with a porn name??

[SlapBone]

Johnson Long is a good one.

[korme]

just making a huge name list for a foreign league idea in ootp