Create list from incomplete dataset - excel

Question

I have a spreadsheet with lines connecting places. Each place has a corresponding number, and is placed in a region (area).
I want a list Node with corresponding Name, and Area. Since some data is missing, I make the assumption that a line going from PARIS will also end up in PARIS.
From To From To AreaF AreaT
51191 51190 BARUM OVERL PARIS PARIS
51191 60000 BARUM BARDU PARIS 0
51059 51074 FOLLO DYRLO #N/A #N/A
51059 51070 FOLLO DYRLO #N/A BERG
51059 50795 FOLLO NYSTU #N/A #N/A
51059 59001 FOLLO VEVEL #N/A #N/A
51059 50362 FOLLO MYRVO #N/A #N/A
51059 50363 FOLLO MYRVO #N/A #N/A
51059 50812 FOLLO NORDB #N/A #N/A
What I want:
Node Name Area
50362 MYRVO BERG
50363 MYRVO BERG
50795 NYSTU BERG
50812 NORDB BERG
51059 FOLLO BERG
51070 DYRLO BERG
51074 DYRLO BERG
51190 OVERL PARIS
51191 BARUM PARIS
59001 VEVEL BERG
60000 BARDU PARIS
Any tips as to how this can be done in Excel? Any useful functions that might come in handy?
The best logic I can come up with is:
(E.g. For row 3)
Check if AreaF contains a valid Area name, not #N/A or 0 (False)
Check if AreaT contains a valid Area name (False)
Check if other rows where column A is 51059 contain valie Area names (True, row 4)
Use that Area in the new list
My problem is mainly point 3. I can't figure out what functions etc. I must use to accomplish this.
This seems to work for point 1 and 2:
=IF(ISNA(F2);IF(ISNA(G2);$M$2;IF(G2=0;$M$2;G2));IF(F2=0;IF(ISNA(G2);$M$2;IF(G2=0;$M$2;G2));F2))
Thanks!

Answer 1

Here is a VBA method that loops through the range and essentially is doing the eval with brut force.
I'm sure it can be cleaned up and made more efficient. Should get you started though.
Sub NodeList()
Dim sheet As Worksheet
Set sheet = ActiveWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet1")
'First Column
Dim rngA As Range
Set rngA = [A2:A10]
Dim datA As Variant
datA = rngA
Dim i As Long
Dim j As Long
'Results
Dim myarray()
ReDim myarray(100, 100)
Dim datR As Variant
Dim store As Boolean
Dim duplicate As Boolean
store = False
duplicate = False
Dim cntr As Integer
cntr = 0
'Range Column loop
For i = LBound(datA, 1) To UBound(datA, 1)
'Find first result
If IsEmpty(myarray(0, 0)) Then
'Is Col E valid?
If Not IsError(rngA(i, 5)) Then
If rngA(i, 5) <> 0 Or rngA(i, 5) <> "#N/A" Or Not IsEmpty(rngA(i, 5)) Then
'Col E is valid
store = True
col = 5
End If
End If
'Is Col F valid?
If store = False And Not IsError(rngA(i, 6)) Then
If rngA(i, 6) <> 0 Or rngA(i, 6) <> "#N/A" Or Not IsEmpty(rngA(i, 6)) Then
'Col E is valid
store = True
col = 6
End If
End If
'Store value to results
If store = True Then
myarray(0, 0) = rngA(i, 1)
myarray(0, 1) = rngA(i, col)
store = False
End If
Else
'Results has at least one value check for duplicate
'Loop thru results
For k = LBound(myarray) To UBound(myarray)
If datA(i, 1) = myarray(k, 0) Then
' duplicate found
duplicate = True
Exit For
End If
Next
If duplicate = False Then
'validate data
If Not IsError(rngA(i, 5)) Then
If rngA(i, 5) <> 0 Or rngA(i, 5) <> "#N/A" Or Not IsEmpty(rngA(i, 5)) Then
'Col E is valid
store = True
col = 5
End If
End If
'Is Col F valid?
If store = False And Not IsError(rngA(i, 6)) Then
If rngA(i, 6) <> 0 Or rngA(i, 6) <> "#N/A" Or Not IsEmpty(rngA(i, 6)) Then
'Col E is valid
store = True
col = 6
End If
End If
'Store value to results
If store = True Then
cntr = cntr + 1
myarray(cntr, 0) = rngA(i, 1)
myarray(cntr, 1) = rngA(i, col)
store = False
End If
End If
duplicate = False
End If
Next
Dim rngB As Range
Set rngB = [B2:B10]
datA = rngB
'Range Column loop
For i = LBound(datA, 1) To UBound(datA, 1)
'Find first result
If IsEmpty(myarray(0, 0)) Then
'Is Col E valid?
If Not IsError(rngA(i, 5)) Then
If rngA(i, 5) <> 0 Or rngA(i, 5) <> "#N/A" Or Not IsEmpty(rngA(i, 5)) Then
'Col E is valid
store = True
col = 5
End If
End If
'Is Col F valid?
If store = False And Not IsError(rngA(i, 6)) Then
If rngA(i, 6) <> 0 Or rngA(i, 6) <> "#N/A" Or Not IsEmpty(rngA(i, 6)) Then
'Col E is valid
store = True
col = 6
End If
End If
'Store value to results
If store = True Then
myarray(0, 0) = rngA(i, 2)
myarray(0, 1) = rngA(i, col)
store = False
End If
Else
'Results has at least one value check for duplicate
'Loop thru results
For k = LBound(myarray) To UBound(myarray)
If datA(i, 1) = myarray(k, 0) Then
' duplicate found
duplicate = True
Exit For
End If
Next
If duplicate = False Then
'validate data
If Not IsError(rngA(i, 5)) Then
If rngA(i, 5) <> 0 Or rngA(i, 5) <> "#N/A" Or Not IsEmpty(rngA(i, 5)) Then
'Col E is valid
store = True
col = 5
End If
End If
'Is Col F valid?
If store = False And Not IsError(rngA(i, 6)) Then
If rngA(i, 6) <> 0 Or rngA(i, 6) <> "#N/A" Or Not IsEmpty(rngA(i, 6)) Then
'Col E is valid
store = True
col = 6
End If
End If
If store = False Then
'Both are invalid
'look in col 'A' and reloop thru value to find another match
For p = LBound(myarray) To UBound(myarray)
If rngA(i, 1) = myarray(p, 0) Then
cntr = cntr + 1
myarray(cntr, 0) = rngA(i, 2)
myarray(cntr, 1) = myarray(p, 1)
store = False
Exit For
End If
Next
End If
'Store value to results
If store = True Then
cntr = cntr + 1
myarray(cntr, 0) = rngA(i, 2)
myarray(cntr, 1) = rngA(i, col)
store = False
End If
End If
duplicate = False
End If
Next
For i = LBound(myarray) To UBound(myarray)
Range("H" & i + 1).Value = myarray(i, 0)
Range("I" & i + 1).Value = myarray(i, 1)
Next
End Sub
Output looks like this:
I didn't add in the name but you can do that by modifying the array.

Answer 2

For the first question, "Any tips as to how this can be done in Excel? Any useful functions that might come in handy?":
Your logic would work fine. However, instead of a long formula in each cell, you may want to consider coding this in VBA. The format would be something similar to:
Go through all nodes
Loop through the nodes with a For...Next loop.
If the node hasn't been seen yet, add it to a list.
Use the Range.Find method, for example, to check if the node has been found already. (See here for a good discussion on .Find vs. COUNTIF, etc.)
Do your calculations on that node.
Check if Area T or Area F contains a valid name.
Use that area for the node.
To answer your second question about what functions could be used for point 3: For something not using VBA, you might consider the VLOOKUP function, as well as COUNTIF, as good functions to keep in mind. But again, See here for a good discussion on .Find vs. COUNTIF, etc.