Collect unique identifiers from one column and paste the results in a different worksheet. - vba

Question

What I'm looking to do is comb through a column and pull all the unique identifiers out of that column and then paste the results in a table in a different worksheet. I found the code below and it is very close to what I need. However, I have two major problems with it that I cannot figure out. First the area that this macro searches is constant ie "A1:B50". I need this to be one column and be dynamic since more data and new unique identifiers will be added to this worksheet. Second I cannot figure out how to paste my results to a specific range on a different worksheet. For example if I wanted to take the results and paste them in "sheet2" starting in at "B5" and going to however long the list of unique identifiers is.
Sub ExtractUniqueEntries()
Const ProductSheetName = "Sheet1" ' change as appropriate
Const ProductRange = "B2:B"
Const ResultsCol = "E"
Dim productWS As Worksheet
Dim uniqueList() As String
Dim productsList As Range
Dim anyProduct
Dim LC As Integer
ReDim uniqueList(1 To 1)
Set productWS = Worksheets(ProductSheetName)
Set productsList = productWS.Range(ProductRange)
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
For Each anyProduct In productsList
If Not IsEmpty(anyProduct) Then
If Trim(anyProduct) <> "" Then
For LC = LBound(uniqueList) To UBound(uniqueList)
If Trim(anyProduct) = uniqueList(LC) Then
Exit For ' found match, exit
End If
Next
If LC > UBound(uniqueList) Then
'new item, add it
uniqueList(UBound(uniqueList)) = Trim(anyProduct)
'make room for another
ReDim Preserve uniqueList(1 To UBound(uniqueList) + 1)
End If
End If
End If
Next ' end anyProduct loop
If UBound(uniqueList) > 1 Then
'remove empty element
ReDim Preserve uniqueList(1 To UBound(uniqueList) - 1)
End If
'clear out any previous entries in results column
If productWS.Range(ResultsCol & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row > 1 Then
productWS.Range(ResultsCol & 2 & ":" & _
productWS.Range(ResultsCol & Rows.Count).Address).ClearContents
End If
'list the unique items found
For LC = LBound(uniqueList) To UBound(uniqueList)
productWS.Range(ResultsCol & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Offset(1, 0) = _
uniqueList(LC)
Next
'housekeeping cleanup
Set productsList = Nothing
Set productWS = Nothing
End Sub

Answer 1

I think your solution is a bit more tricky than it needs to be. Collecting unique ids becomes almost trivial is you use a Dictionary instead of a list. The added benefit is that a dictionary will scale much better than a list as your data set becomes larger.
The code below should provide you with a good starting point to get you going. For convenience's sake I used the reference from your post. So output will be on sheet2 to starting in cell B5 going down and the input is assumed to be on sheet1 cell B2 going down.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Option Explicit
Sub ExtractUniqueEntries()
'enable microsoft scripting runtime --> tools - references
Dim unique_ids As New Dictionary
Dim cursor As Range: Set cursor = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet1").Range("B2") 'change as Required
'collect the unique ids
'This assumes that:
'1. ids do not contain blank rows.
'2. ids are properly formatted. Should this not be the could you'll need to do some validating.
While Not IsEmpty(cursor)
unique_ids(cursor.Value) = ""
Set cursor = cursor.Offset(RowOffset:=1)
Wend
'output the ids to some target.
'assumes the output area is blank.
Dim target As Range: Set target = ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet2").Range("B5")
Dim id_ As Variant
For Each id_ In unique_ids
target = id_
Set target = target.Offset(RowOffset:=1)
Next id_
End Sub

Answer 2

A small modification will do it; the key is to define the ProductRange.
Sub ExtractUniqueEntries()
Const ProductSheetName = "Sheet1" ' change as appropriate
Dim ProductRange
ProductRange = "B2:B" & Range("B" & Cells.Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
Const ResultsCol = "E"
Dim productWS As Worksheet
Dim uniqueList() As String
Dim productsList As Range
Dim anyProduct
Dim LC As Integer
ReDim uniqueList(1 To 1)
Set productWS = Worksheets(ProductSheetName)
Set productsList = productWS.Range(ProductRange)
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
For Each anyProduct In productsList
If Not IsEmpty(anyProduct) Then
If Trim(anyProduct) <> "" Then
For LC = LBound(uniqueList) To UBound(uniqueList)
If Trim(anyProduct) = uniqueList(LC) Then
Exit For ' found match, exit
End If
Next
If LC > UBound(uniqueList) Then
'new item, add it
uniqueList(UBound(uniqueList)) = Trim(anyProduct)
'make room for another
ReDim Preserve uniqueList(1 To UBound(uniqueList) + 1)
End If
End If
End If
Next ' end anyProduct loop
If UBound(uniqueList) > 1 Then
'remove empty element
ReDim Preserve uniqueList(1 To UBound(uniqueList) - 1)
End If
'clear out any previous entries in results column
If productWS.Range(ResultsCol & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row > 1 Then
productWS.Range(ResultsCol & 2 & ":" & _
productWS.Range(ResultsCol & Rows.Count).Address).ClearContents
End If
'list the unique items found
For LC = LBound(uniqueList) To UBound(uniqueList)
productWS.Range(ResultsCol & Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Offset(1, 0) = _
uniqueList(LC)
Next
'housekeeping cleanup
Set productsList = Nothing
Set productWS = Nothing
End Sub