Oct 10 2020 09:30 AM
I have 2 separate lists. The number of objects in the list can vary or be the same. All Objects can be divided into 4 categories. I have a set of constraints which need to be followed (Excel Attached). I now want to generate a new set of lists (it can be any number of lists) of 10 objects from the above two lists based on the criteria / constraints.
An added functionality which (if possible) is to filter the generated lists based on inclusion/exclusion of certain objects.
Thank you.
Oct 10 2020 11:25 AM
Your description of what you're trying to do, I have to say, is one of the more cryptic I've seen. I'm sure it's totally clear in your own mind, but you'll need to do some more explaining....perhaps give an actual example of an outcome that you'd like to see.
In any event, let me ask if you're at all familiar with the FILTER function. It's only been fairly recently available with the newest versions of Excel. Based on your last paragraph, I think it might do what you want. Give it a try. If it doesn't work, by all means come back and clarify your request.
Oct 10 2020 07:53 PM
Oct 11 2020 09:49 AM - edited Oct 11 2020 09:49 AM
Thank you for spelling out the possible circumstances--was that real, or still a parallel or hypothetical example?--but what I'm also looking for (as the example I requested) is that you take your spreadsheet with its very abstract data, and give an example of an outcome, stating the criteria you use to get there. I'm not asking for the Excel solution (that's what YOU are asking for), but rather for a verbal description of the actual outcome possible given certain selection criteria.
In short, talk me (us) through the process verbally. You've set the stage; let's play out the drama.
Oct 14 2020 09:45 AM
Hello Sir.
Apologies for the late reply. Actually this scenario is one of the many that i can think of. I wanted to know if the solver tool / or its some advanced version can solve these kinds of problems which we solve in engineering. I have made a rough excel about the end result i imagine. Hope this would explain in a better way what i imagine the output can be. I would like to reiterate that there can be N number of teams. I have just made 3 as an example.
And a big thank you once again sir for showing such enthusiasm to this abstract question.
Oct 14 2020 07:10 PM
I suspect that SOLVER can do this. But I'd have to just go in and play around with it to figure out how. I've used it maybe twice in my life; the kinds of situations I deal with generally don't require that tool.
My guess, from what you've said, is that you could do that--go in and play with SOLVER yourself--just as well as I could. Give it a try. Come back and tell us how or IF it has worked.
Oct 16 2020 07:53 PM
Oct 17 2020 04:26 AM
To my knowledge, my (Mac) systems do not have Power Query. I've never been able to activate it, at any rate.
In my (career) background I have worked fairly extensively with SQL (Structured Query Language) queries on mainframe databases, and I have been given the impression that Power Query bears a lot of resemblance to that process. As such, I doubt that it would be suitable to your particular challenge. It's great for joining various tables in a relational database context, to produce focused and comprehensive outputs, but it's not really like Solver in being given conditions and lists and asked to come up with various solutions that meet those conditions.
I'd welcome others here to contribute to helping you. Right now I don't have the time to play with Solver myself, but I would persist. Have you tried with a less demanding set of conditions, just to get the procedure under your belt?