lookup function?

[Scott]

I have a one-column list of different text entries. I
want to return the text value that appears the most times
in the list.

Ex: List Entries include
Plates,Spoons,Plates,Knives,Glasses,Knives,Plates. I
want to return the value Plates because it appears the
most times in the list. Make sense? Which function
would I use for that???

Thanks in advance for the help.

Scott

 

[Harlan Grove]

I have a one-column list of different text entries. I
want to return the text value that appears the most times
in the list.

...

Try the *array* formula

=INDEX(List,MATCH(MAX(COUNTIF(List,List)),COUNTIF(List,List),0))

Array formulas must be entered by holding down [Ctrl] and [Shift] keys before
pressing [Enter].

 

[Vasant Nanavati]

Hi Scott:

Not fully tested, but try:

=INDEX(A1:A13,MATCH(MAX(COUNTIF(A1:A13,A1:A13)),COUNTIF(A1:A13,A1:A13),0))

where your list is in A1:A13, entered as an array formula with <Ctrl>
<Shift> <Enter> rather than just <Enter>.

Regards,

Vasant.

 

[Vasant Nanavati]

Darn, Harlan ... it took me a long time to work that out and I was so proud
of it!

Regards,

Vasant.

I have a one-column list of different text entries. I
want to return the text value that appears the most times
in the list.

..

Try the *array* formula

=INDEX(List,MATCH(MAX(COUNTIF(List,List)),COUNTIF(List,List),0))

Array formulas must be entered by holding down [Ctrl] and [Shift] keys before
pressing [Enter].

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Snip unnecessary quoted text.
Never multipost (though crossposting is usually OK).
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[Harlan Grove]

Darn, Harlan ... it took me a long time to work that out and I was so proud
of it!

...

Who knows who posted first? (Well, it can be checked in the headers, but I won't
bother.) Anyway, it's almost certainly been posted before. Very few of the
methods in the responses in these newsgroups are original. If OPs ever did start
searching Google first, we'd be out of a job!

 

[Vasant Nanavati]

Anyway, it's almost certainly been posted before. Very few of the
methods in the responses in these newsgroups are original. If OPs ever did
start
searching Google first, we'd be out of a job!<<

Of course I had no expectation that my solution was original. Once in a
while I like to reinvent the wheel just to keep the brain exercised ...
especially since my "expertise" in worksheet functions is minimal!