Feeding pairwise compared values into a large table - excel

Question

I've got a few large (500-1000) datasets in the following format using only the first two rows.
id
value
a-b
number
a-c
number
a-d
number
...
number
b-c
number
b-d
number
and so on
They compare two values and save their difference while skipping previously done comparisons. I want to put them in a table like this:
id
a
b
c
d
e
a
/
number
number
number
number
b
number
/
number
number
number
c
number
number
/
number
number
d
number
number
number
/
number
e
number
number
number
number
/
The lower left half of this table is easily prepared with offset, but how do I feed the values into the upper right half?
Is there a way to mostly automate doing this?

Answer 1

If i understand what you are trying to do, I would suggest to do this in 2 steps:
Set up formulas in the results table to "read" data
Have a macro to "save" data
First fill your results table with this formula (example for cell B2) - keep your offset formula in bottm left half
=IF(B$2=$A3, "\", VLOOKUP(IF(B$2>$A3,$A3&"-"&B$2, B$2&"-"&$A3), $H$3:$I$35, 2, FALSE))
This will give you \ if the row and column id or the same or vlookup on row_id-column_id/column_id-row_id if they are different ensuring they are ordered "low-high" always to give you your mirror across the diagonal. Some might argue the duplication of vlookup is inefficient but more inefficient than an offset and figuring our how to paste one formula into one diagonal and a different one in the other? Who really knows and it is simple and it works IMHO
Next put the data for the current "pass" into the observations table and your values will appear in the table via the VLOOKUP
Finally you need a little macro to replace the formula with the value and run it after every set of results is acquired, so that you don't lose this data when you put a subsequent set of new values in your results table
Option Explicit
Sub replace_formula_with_value()
Dim ws As Worksheet
Set ws = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet1")
Dim r_in As Range
' this is where my input data start
Set r_in = Range(ws.Range("B3"), ws.Range("B3").End(xlDown).End(xlToRight))
Dim r As Range
For Each r In r_in
If Not IsError(r.Value) Then
If r.Value <> "\" Then
'overwrite formula with value by setting value to the evaluation of the formula in the cell
r.Value = r.Value
End If
End If
Next r
End Sub
If you dont want to have a macro then you need to keep ALL data in your observations table and just build it up over time.