Comparing two separate Excel files and keeping only unique results

[abdul.aziz1 (Abdul Aziz)]

Hi, I have two separate excel files of 1 column each but might have different number of rows. I need to compare these two files and find the difference between them. For example:
File 1 contains:
123
abc
456

File 2 contains:
123
abc
xyz123
456
789

So I need the result to look like this:
xyz123
789

So I have a workflow, but I cannot make it work. My workflow is:

1. Read excel 1 and keep it in a datatable, dt1.
2. Read excel 2 and keep it in a datatable, dt2.
3. For each row1 in dt1
   For each row2 in dt2
   If row1(0).ToString = row2(0).ToString
   Break
   Else
   Write cell in another excel file, say output.xlsx, value row2(0).ToString
   Increase counter by 1
   Break

The counter variable has default value of 1 and scope is entire sequence including step 1 and 2. This isn’t working…so really in need of your help!

Thanks in advance!

[ksrinu070184 (Srinivas)]

@abdul.aziz1

Check below for your reference

Tutorial : How to check a string is present in Excel Sheet || Part - 1

Also you can for try as below

Set Operation like minus ,intersect, union Operation n datatable

Hello guys One more components published on uipath Go This activity performs a set of operations like Minus, InterSect, Union between two DataTable as we do in RDBMS Minus Operation : MINUS (also known as EXCEPT) returns the difference between the first and second SELECT statement. It is the one where we need to be careful which statement will be put first, because we will get only those results that are in the first SELECT statement and not in the second. This activity takes the followin…

Hope this helps you

Thanks

[ppr (Peter)]

@abdul.aziz1
find some starter help here:
Find_Common_NonCommon_By1Col.xaml (12.3 KB)

Also it is recommended to explore the Join DataTable Activity

[NIVED_NAMBIAR (NIVED N)]

Hi @ppr, I think join datatable activitiy would not be able to use in this case

[ppr (Peter)]

when we join the two datatables with Join type FULL we can detect in the join result

• matching items - left join col AND right join col are not null (and the same)
• not matching in right table - left join col is not null and right join col is null
• not matching in left table - left join col is null and right join col is not null

Well explained also here

Story line of Join Data Table

Dear innovator’s, All we know that there is a Join Data table activity in UiPath.If we get any matching scenarios with unique value will approach join data table activity instead of filter/loop/array matching activity to find an exact match. Join Data Table: [image] Combines rows from two tables by using values common to each other, according to a Join rule, which is specified in the Join Type property. Sample Table: [image] INNER Join: The INNER JOIN keyword selects records that have m…

[NIVED_NAMBIAR (NIVED N)]

Join Data table not working, Parameter "not equal"

I have two data tables from two excel sheets, naming “test1” and “test2”. i want to use join data table activity to find out the “not equal” rows. I have used “!=” for that but my output is not correct. Attached are the images. Thanks for the help in advance! [merge_from_ofoct1]

U can check here

Same scenario for this question but cannot apply join datatable

I think join datatable is a kind of looping

[ppr (Peter)]

@NIVED_NAMBIAR
lets do one thing: as it is the post of @abdul.aziz1 just keep it clean for his topic. In case of your question just open a new topic. The join operator will still be = and not != (!= has a different meaning, see description above on how to detect the matchers and non matchers)

[alin.c.mihalea]

@abdul.aziz1

Please find attached a possible solution to your exercise.
UnqValuesFrom2Dt.xaml (9.8 KB)

The idea behind it is to merge the 2 datatables and then filter the values that are found only once in the merged datatable.

Happy automation!

[abdul.aziz1 (Abdul Aziz)]

Thanks a lot for your help! But I get this error message: “The source contains now Data Rows”…what’s the issue?

[alin.c.mihalea]

I guess that might happen if there are no unique values from the 2 datatables. Basically, the 2 datatables are identical.

I made some changes to the initial workflow in order to handle this.

UnqValuesFrom2Dt_v2.xaml (13.7 KB)

[abdul.aziz1 (Abdul Aziz)]

working now! i find the enumerable function pretty confusing! still, thanks for your invaluable help!!!