Use a macro or not on linked files?

[Chad54321]

Hello,

I'm still somewhat new to Excel, so I beg for patience, but here is my current dilemma:

I have one file (master.xls) that is used to manually enter information using text, pulldown menus, etc. for various customer information (one customer per row). This one file is used to cover information relevant for all five of my company's different locations (one of the pulldown menus restricts the location this customer visits).

I'm now asked to create seperate, linked files in the same folder...one file for each location that will "look through" the master file and only count or display the information relevant to that particular location. So far I've not had a problem displaying raw data (integers, sums, etc.) from the master list based largely on COUNTIFs or just IF statements.

What I've been asked to do now is display all entered information (customer names, etc.) from that row in the linked file if the customer has visited a particular location. In other words, don't just count how many customers per location, but "if" customer in row A1 is from location "South", then display all the other information on that customer from his row in the master file (Name, Zip, Comments) into the linked file made just for that location.

I tried to set this up as if statements per row, but I end up with (of course) a lot of zeros or empty rows if the value is FALSE. A friend at work stated I would have to use a macro. I've so far avoided them, and I was wondering if there was a function that would do this.

Sorry for the long post. Any help is appreciated. I'm using Excel 2003.

Thanks,

Chad

 

[stanleydgromjr]

Chad,

Welcome to the board.

You might try viewing your data in/with Pivot Tables.


Have a great day,
Stan

 

[Chad54321]

Stan,

Thanks for your help. I've not used pivot tables before and I've been trying to get them to work without luck. Basically what I have on the master workbook is a set up like:

Name Location Comments
Joe Smith South Unpaid


Etc. What I would like on the new workbook (titled "south") would be the entire row of information from any customer whose location is "south". My pivot table attempts seem to be summing the names instead of displaying them one row each. Would a macro be easier?

Thanks again for your help!

-Chad