Dec 21 2022 05:57 AM
Hello,
I need to generate a unique ID for each new row into the sheet. It must be static, therefore it cannot recalculate, or change if a row is added/removed. I have thousands of rows of data, but sometimes the column data cannot be combined in a unique way.
How can I do this? I tried a GUID, which is great (unique), but not very user friendly (easy to reference) and it recalculates automatically. The sheet needs to automatically recalculate (I have xlookups).
One basic solution I thought of, is use the GUID formula to generate the new IDs, then just paste over the cells with values only. Is there not a more elegant way of achieving my objective?
Thanks for the support!
Jan 02 2023 05:03 PM
SolutionJan 02 2023 05:54 PM
@mtarler Hi, thanks for replying. Yes it seems no better solution exists, or I guess it would have been proposed by now :D
To generate a simplified GUID, I use =DEC2HEX(RANDBETWEEN(0,4294967295),8). Its complex enough for my needs, and then I paste-values to ensure the ID never changes.
My problem is tricky, as no column has simple data, which is unique. It is a Hazard Log, so often there are cells with text, or MATCH values. I have cells which I use to trace back to the source of the data, but that would not be user-friendly in a CONCAT. A simplified GUID might not be easy to remember/share, but it feels more elegant! Thanks for the tip on using SEQUENCE, its not one I thought about!
Jan 02 2023 07:36 PM
Jan 02 2023 05:03 PM
Solution