Move all text values with the same ID field to separate columns - excel

Question

I would like to move all the comments (Column B3:B14) to be new columns against each unique ID (Column A3:A14).
The Desired Format shows the layout that I would like to get to.
Hopefully that makes sense.

Answer 1

EDIT: This will do what you want using vba:
Option Explicit
Sub TransposeComments()
Dim inSR%, inTR%, inTC%, rgSource As Range, rgTarget As Range
Set rgSource = Range("A3") 'Change this if the 1st ID in the source table is moved
Set rgTarget = Range("D3") 'Change this to start populating at another start point
inTR = -1
Do
If rgSource.Offset(inSR) <> rgSource.Offset(inSR - 1) Then
inTR = inTR + 1: inTC = 2
rgTarget.Offset(inTR) = rgSource.Offset(inSR)
rgTarget.Offset(inTR, 1) = rgSource.Offset(inSR, 1)
Else
rgTarget.Offset(inTR, inTC) = rgSource.Offset(inSR, 1)
inTC = inTC + 1
End If
inSR = inSR + 1
''' End on 1st empty ID (assumes ID's in source data are contiguous and nothing is below them)
Loop Until rgSource.Offset(inSR) = ""
End Sub
I've assumed you know how to implement and call/run the vb. If not, let me know and I try and help with that. :)
============================================================
EDIT: How to do it all with formulas?
I'm unsure of how dynamic the extraction table has to be (as you don't say). For example:
o Will you be making a new extraction each time or will build a standing extractor table
o Will the source data vary in size (so you need to grow and shrink the 'lookup' range)
o Etc.
Given this, I've aimed for a solution that works and is adaptable. I'll leave it to you to adapt as appropriate 😊
To extract the unique serial numbers:
{=IFERROR(INDEX($A$2:$A$14, MATCH(0, COUNTIF($E$2:E2, $A$2:$A$14), 0)),"")}
To extract the corresponding comments:
{=IF($E3="","",IF(SUM(IF($A$2:$A$15=$E3,1))>=COUNTA($F$2:F$2),INDEX($B$2:$B$15,MATCH($E3,$A$2:$A$15,0)+COUNTA($F$2:F$2)-1),""))}
Notice the {}. Both are array formulas (entered with Ctrl, Shift and Enter)
Pictogram:
Addition Information:
The solution proposed assumes any same-serial-numbers are contiguous (as shown in your example.
If that's not the case by default, you'll have to sort the source date so it is.

Answer 2

You can obtain your desired output using Power Query, available in Windows Excel 2010+ and Office 365 Excel
Select some cell in your original table
Data => Get&Transform => From Table/Range
When the PQ UI opens, navigate to Home => Advanced Editor
Make note of the Table Name in Line 2 of the code.
Replace the existing code with the M-Code below
Change the table name in line 2 of the pasted code to your "real" table name
Examine any comments, and also the Applied Steps window, to better understand the algorithm and steps
M Code
let
//read in the data
//change table name in next line to actual table name in your workbook
Source = Excel.CurrentWorkbook(){[Name="Table1"]}[Content],
//set data types
#"Changed Type" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(Source,{{"ID", Int64.Type}, {"Comments", type text}}),
//group by ID and concatenate the comments with a character not used in the comments
//I used a semicolon, but that could be changed
#"Grouped Rows" = Table.Group(#"Changed Type", {"ID"}, {
{"Comment", each Text.Combine([Comments],";")},
//also generate Count of the number of comments in each ID group
//as the Maximum will be the count of the number of columns to eventually create
{"numCols", each Table.RowCount(_)}
}),
//calculate how many columns to create and delete that column
maxCols = List.Max(#"Grouped Rows"[numCols]),
remCount = Table.RemoveColumns(#"Grouped Rows","numCols"),
//Split into new columns
#"Split Column by Delimiter" = Table.SplitColumn(remCount, "Comment",
Splitter.SplitTextByDelimiter(";", QuoteStyle.Csv),maxCols)
in
#"Split Column by Delimiter"
If you have Excel for Microsoft 365 on the Mac with the FILTER and UNIQUE functions, you can use:
D23: =UNIQUE(Table1[ID]) *or some other cell8
and in the adjacent column:
=TRANSPOSE(FILTER(Table1[Comments],Table1[ID]=D23))