Referencing a particular cell value when there are two string matches in VBA - vba

Question

I am trying to create a predictive algorithm in VBA that would search for strings in a particular row from a data source, and return a value based on the row number. This is the first step in the workflow, and in its simplest form, there are 2 tables as shown below:
Source Table:
Output Table:
This is what I'm trying to do:
Pick up the strings in Row 1 of Output Table (Blue,Black) and search for them in Rows 1,2,3,4 of Source Table.
If both strings match in a single row, the 'Input' cell from that particular row is copied to Row 1 in Output Table in the 'Output' column.
Example (2nd iteration):
From Output Table Row 2, strings Ivory,Green,Grey are picked up and queried in all rows of Source Table. If any 2 out of 3 strings match in a single row on Source Table, the Input cell of that row is copied.
In this case, Ivory and Green match in Row 1, and also in Row 4. Either input cell would work, but for the sake of having a rule, lets take the last match (Row 4). So '1,8' would be copied to Row 2 on Output Table.
This the flow I am currently using, but I'm getting an incorrect output:
For i = 2 To 5
For j = 1 To 4
For k = 2 To 5
For l = 1 To 5
If Cells(i, j).Value = Worksheets("SourceTable").Cells(k, l).Value And Cells(i,j).Value <> "" Then
For a = 1 To 5
For b = 1 To 4
If Cells(i, b).Value = Worksheets("SourceTable").Cells(k, a).Value And Cells(i, b).Value <> "" Then
Cells(i, 15).Value = Worksheets("SourceTable").Cells(k, 5).Value
GoTo iLoop
End If
Next b
Next a
End If
Next l
Next k
Next j
iLoop:
Next i
Both tables would have around half a million rows, and I am trying to figure out how to reduce the number of loops and make it work at the same time. Any suggestions would be appreciated, this would help me save a lot of man-hours and automate a major chunk of the process. Thanks!

Answer 1

Sub macro()
lastRowOut = Sheets("OutputTable").Range("A" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
lastRowSou = Sheets("SourceTable").Range("A" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
For i = 2 To lastRowOut
For j = 2 To lastRowSou
If checkRow(j, i) >= 2 Then
Sheets("OutputTable").Cells(i, 5) = Sheets("SourceTable").Cells(j, 6)
Exit For
End If
Next j
Next i
End Sub
Function checkRow(sRow, i)
lastCol = Split(Sheets("OutputTable").Cells(i, Columns.Count).End(xlToLeft).Address, "$")(1)
counter = 0
For Each cell In Sheets("OutputTable").Range("A" & i & ":" & lastCol & i)
If Not Sheets("SourceTable").Range("A" & sRow & ":" & "E" & sRow).Find(cell.Value) Is Nothing Then
counter = counter + 1
End If
Next cell
checkRow = counter
End Function
Quite a few things are unclear so here were the assumptions I made:
Two or more of the cells in a row in the OutputTable have to be matched for the prediction to be made.
The first rows of both the Output and Source sheet contain "Col1, Col2" etc.
You seem to not mind whether we use the first or last matching row (from the source sheet) so I went with the first.
That's 3 loops instead of 6..

Answer 2

you can try this
Option Explicit
Sub main()
Dim row As Range
With Worksheets("OutputTable")
For Each row In .Range("D2", .Cells(.Rows.count, 1).End(xlUp)).Rows '<--| change "D" to "OutputTable" sheet last "col" column index (i.e. the one before "Output" column)
SearchSource row
Next
End With
End Sub
Sub SearchSource(rng As Range)
Dim cell As Range, row As Range
Dim nFounds As Long
With Worksheets("SourceTable")
For Each row In .Range("E2", .Cells(.Rows.count, 1).End(xlUp)).Rows '<--| change "E" to "SourceTable" sheet last "col" column index (i.e. the one before "Input" column)
nFounds = 0
For Each cell In rng.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants)
If Not row.Find(what:=cell.Value, lookat:=xlWhole, LookIn:=xlValues) Is Nothing Then nFounds = nFounds + 1
If nFounds = 2 Then Exit For
Next
If nFounds = 2 Then rng.Cells(, rng.Columns.count + 1).Value = row.Cells(, row.Columns.count + 1).Value
Next
End With
End Sub

Answer 3

'Try this:
'First declare some variables:
'the number of rows of the Output table
Dim OrNum as integer
'the number of columns of the Output table
Dim OcNum as integer
'the number of rows of the Source table
Dim SrNum as integer
'the number of columns of the Source table
Dim ScNum as integer
'some dummy variables for the loops
Dim rO as integer, cO as integer
Dim rS as integer, cS as integer
And then declare a boolean variable (just for later on)
Dim bool as boolean
'Then assume the output table has it's first cell at the most 'top and the most left of the output table, which is taken to 'be the cell Z1 in the following Code
'Begin with this first cell of the Output table and get each 'value in a way, that you move first (inner loop) over the 'columns by fixing the row Index (rO) of the Output table and then (outer loop) get down to each and every row like this:
For rO = 0 to OrNum - 1
For cO = 0 to OcNum - 1
Range("Z1").Offset(rO, cO)
Next
Next
'Now you don't have only strings so you will need to check, 'if the value in the cell is a string or a number. There is VBA 'function, that can help. It's called IsNumeric. It will give 'True if the value is a numeric value. If we have a string, then it will give False. With the Function IsEmpty() you can also check if a cell is empty or not. If a cell is empty, then the function IsEmpty will return True.
For rO = 0 to OrNum - 1
For cO = 0 to OcNum - 1
bool = IsNumeric(Range("Z1").Offset(rO, cO).Value)
bool = bool Or IsEmpty (Range("Z1").Offset(rO, cO).Value)
If bool=False then
'we have a string!
'do something
End if
Next
Next