Create comma-delimited values in Excel (using PivotTable)? - excel

Question

Is there a way to generate comma-delimited values in Excel (optimally using a PivotTable)? Consider the following data:
Object Color
foo Red
foo Blue
bar Red
bar Blue
bar Green
baz Yellow
I'd like to get a table like the following:
Object Count of Color Colors
foo 2 Red,Blue
bar 3 Red,Blue,Green
baz 1 Yellow
Is this possible in Excel? The data is coming from a SQL query, so I could write a UDF with a recursive CTE to calculate, but this was for a single ad-hoc query, and I wanted a quick-and-dirty way to get the denormalized data. In the end, it's probably taken longer to post this than to write the UDF, but...

Answer 1

Here's a much simpler answer, adapted from this superuser answer (HT to #yioann for pointing it out and #F106dart for the original):
Assuming the data is in columns A (Category) and B (Value):
Create a new column (C), and name it "Values". Use this formula, starting in cell C2 and copying all the way down: =IF(A2=A1, C1&","&B2, B2)
Create a second new column (D), and name it "Count". Use this formula, starting in cell D2, and copying all the way down: =IF(A2=A1, D1+1, 1)
Create a third new column (E), and name it "Last Line?". Use this fomula, starting in cell E2, and copying all of the way down: =A2<>A3
You can now hide column B (Value) and filter column E (Last Line?) for only the TRUE values.
In summary:
A B C D E
+--------- ----- ----------------------- ------------------- ----------
1| Category Value Values Count Last Line?
2| foo Red =IF(A2=A1,C1&","&B2,B2) =IF(A2=A1, D1+1, 1) =A2<>A3
3| foo Blue =IF(A3=A2,C2&","&B3,B3) =IF(A3=A2, D2+1, 1) =A3<>A2
etc.

Answer 2

Yes, you would be much better off using the tools of whatever RDBMS you're running (MS SQL, MySQL, etc.).
Such a pivot table is possible in Excel. But, only if you write a cumbersome VBA module -- which I don't recommend.
However, the task is simpler in MS Access -- which usually comes bundled with Excel. Microsoft makes it "easy" to link Access and Excel and to use the former to run queries on the latter.
So, given the spreadsheet cells as stated:
For best results, sort the table by Object and then by Color.
Make sure the spreadsheet is saved.
Open up MS Access.
Select File --> Open   (CtrlO)
Under Files of type, select Microsoft Excel
Navigate to and choose your existing spreadsheet.
Choose the worksheet or named range that contains your table.
Give the linked table the name MyPivot.
Open the Visual Basic Editor... Tools --> Macro --> Visual Basic Editor (AltF11)
Insert a module and paste in this UDF:
'Concat returns a comma-seperated list of items
Public Function Concat (CategoryCol As String, _
ItemCol As String) As String
Static LastCategory As String
Static ItemList As String
If CategoryCol = LastCategory Then
ItemList = ItemList & ", " & ItemCol
Else
LastCategory = CategoryCol
ItemList = ItemCol
End If
Concat = ItemList
End Function
Save the project and close the VB editor
Under Queries, Create a new query in design view.
Switch to the SQL View.
Paste in this SQL:
SELECT
Object,
COUNT (Color) AS [Count of Color],
LAST (Concat (Object, Color)) AS [List 'O Colors]
FROM
MyPivot
GROUP BY
Object
Run the query (Press the red exclamation mark or just select the Datasheet View).
Voilà, done in 15 easy steps!   ;)
Results:
Object Count of Color List 'O Colors
bar 3 Blue, Green, Red
baz 1 Yellow
foo 2 Blue, Red

Answer 3

An even easier way is to add the data to the data model when you create the pivot table and then use a "measure" (called "Colours") as follows:
=CONCATENATEX(Table1,[Color],", ")
Then add the "Colours" field to the values portion of the pivot.