Cell color based on another cell's color

[Pilule]

Hello,

I have a list of around 25,000 names that are in a document that I call "Main List" in column B1 to B25000 that I call and start with blanks cells in column A1 to A25,000. The column A is used to be filled with a color, either red, yellow or green.

Every day, some people will send me the same lists called "List 1", List 2", "List 3" and so on, with some of the names with a colored cells, in column A. I want to transfer the color from "List X" to the "Main List" to eventually fill up the "Main List" with colored cells in column "A".

If I use cut and paste, it erases the colors already there. I have been looking into the "Conditional Formating", "VLOOKUP", "MATCH" but I can't find a way to do what I want. It seems that none of these functions can work with colored cells.

Thanks

 

[Joe4]

Native Excel functions only run on cell values, not on formatting. Likewise, Conditional Formatting only runs on cell values, not on manual set cell formatting.

If the existing color is the result of existing Conditional Formatting, or if there is a "rhyme or reason" as to why certain cells are certain colors, you may be able to use Conditional Formatting using the existing rules or the logic behind the "rhyme or reason" to color cells a specific color. If they are just set to certain colors manually, with no real pattern or rhyme of reason (that can be explained formulaically), then the only way I can think of to get the color of existing cells is via VBA.

 

[Kenneth Hobson]

It is uncelar to me just what you want. You say colors are in column A in your master list but values in column B. If you copy/cut and then paste someone's other list from an Excel range I am guessing, then it overwrites. Is this list copied one column or two? Values can be pasted and/or formats. I guess if you copied columns A and B and pasted then it would overwrite. If you don't want to overwrite column A, then just copy column B and paste to column B.

It might be more clear if you made a short example file and posted a link to it from a free shared site like dropbox.

 

[Pilule]

M. Joe4

Thanks for the clarification. It'll save me some time looking for something that can't be done easily.

M. Hobson

I realize that my question is hard to understand but your reply and M. Joe4 gave me an idea. It will be easier to manipulate text than cell color. I'll write a letter for each color, G for green, Y for yellow and R for red and I'll use conditional formation to color the cells. Then I can manipulate the worksheet using these letters. It will make my job in many ways.
I'll be back with more questions, I'm sure.

Thanks