Finding matching strings in a column

Question

I have col D (in sheet1 called Students), col A (in Sheet2 called Students too) and col B (in sheet2 called Age). In colD there are a lot of similar Students names that are sorted from A to Z.

I have this code that finds matched students name and put his age in col D (sheet1):

Set rngSearch = Sheets("Sheet1").Range("D:D")
For Each rngSearch In Drng
 Set rngFound = Arng.Find(What:=rngSearch, LookIn:=xlValues, LookAt:=xlWhole, SearchOrder:=xlByRows, SearchDirection:=xlNext, MatchCase:=False, SearchFormat:=False)
 'if studentname is found:
 If Not rngFound Is Nothing Then
 rngSearch.Offset(0, 0) = rngFound.Offset(0, 1)
 Else
 rngSearch.Offset(0, 0) = "-" 
 End If
Next

I want to loop col D once and if exists a match students name in colA (sheet2), I want to copy in colD (sheet1) the B column (sheet2) that matches to colA (sheet2).

I sorted colD because I don't want to loop every similar students name. I mean: if a student name (for example: Andrew) in colD matches to a student name ('Andrew') in colA, then copy colB (matches to col A- for example Andrew has 15 years old) in colD (sheet1). And if the string 'Andrew' is repeated in colD (I found it in another cells), don't loop for it again colB (sheet2), but copy the value from the first string.

For example:

(Sheet1)

colD: Students: 
row1: Andrew 
row2: Andrew 
row3: Andrew 
row4: Andrew 
row5: Andrew 
row6: Andrew 
row7: Ben 
row8: Ben 
row9: Edoardo 
row10: Helen 
row11: Leonardo 
row12: Leonardo 
row13: Robert 
rowN: ..

(Sheet2)

 Students: colB: Age: 
row1: Michael 16 
row2: Timoth 20 
row3: Andrew 15 
row4: Edoardo 19 
row5: Ben 13 
row6: Robert 24 
row7: Helen 17

What I want:

(Sheet1)

colD: Students: 
row1: 15 
row2: 15 
row3: 15 
row4: 15 
row5: 15 
row6: 15 
row7: 13 
row8: 13 
row9: 19 
row10: 17 
row11: 0 
row12: 0 
row13: 24 
rowN: ..

Can anyone help me to optimize this code, please?

Answer 1

As in a lot of cases, you don't need vba to do what you're trying to accomplish. The best thing to do here is simply use one of the built in formulas. In this case, you want VLOOKUP. Using VLOOKUP, there's no need to sort the sheet.

VLOOKUP(sheet1!$A1,sheet2!A:B,2,FALSE)

But this is Code Review, so one is in order.

---

I'm assuming this is a typo.

Set rngSearch = Sheets("Sheet1").Range("D:D")
For Each rngSearch In Drng

And what you really mean is:

Drng = Sheets("Sheet1").Range("D:D")
For each rngSearch In Drng

Which makes me want to mention that I really hate Hungarian notation. I like this mixed and reversed notation even less. The IDE will tell you that it's a Range, but if you really just need your code to spell it out, just spell it out. At least be consistent.

rngSearch >> searchRange

Drng >> rngD >> columnD

---

If your subroutine needs the sheet to be sorted, then your subroutine should sort sort it itself, but I recommend against sorting the sheet at all unless your user expects the sheet to be sorted a certain way. Messing with the sort order unexpectly makes for a poor user experience. Albeit not as poor of an experience as your code producing unexpected results.

---

This line scrolls off the screen. You should try to keep everything on the screen if possible.

Set rngFound = Arng.Find(What:=rngSearch, LookIn:=xlValues, LookAt:=xlWhole, SearchOrder:=xlByRows, SearchDirection:=xlNext, MatchCase:=False, SearchFormat:=False)

You've got two options to help solve this. You can either skip the verbose method of using argument identifiers and simply not pass the missing argument into Find,

Set rngFound = Arng.Find(rngSearch, , xlValues, xlWhole, xlByRows, xlNext, False, False)

Or use line continuations.

Set rngFound = Arng.Find(What:=rngSearch, _
 LookIn:=xlValues, _
 LookAt:=xlWhole, _ 
 SearchOrder:=xlByRows, _
 SearchDirection:=xlNext, _
 MatchCase:=False, _
 SearchFormat:=False)

---

There's a small optimization to be had by only searching column D until there are no more values. Find the last used cell in the sheet and only search until you reach that cell. As it is, I think your code does many more iterations than it has to.

• ghostlegend: You're right, but I solved my problem yet. However, thanks for the feedback!
• RubberDuck: You're welcome. Welcome to Code Review by the way.
• RubberDuck: Also, if you solved your issue, consider posting an answer to your question.
• ghostlegend: Thank you. I really appreciate the site! I post the code below.

Answer 2

I solved the problem. Here is the code:

Set rngSearch = Sheets("Sheet1").Range("D:D")
For Each rngSearch In Drng
 'all activities are searched in Arng:
 Set rFnd = Sheets("Sheet1").Range("D2:D" & lastRowD).Find(What:=sText, LookAt:=xlPart)
 Set rngFound = Arng.Find(What:=rngSearch, LookIn:=xlValues, LookAt:=xlWhole, SearchOrder:=xlByRows, SearchDirection:=xlNext, MatchCase:=False, SearchFormat:=False)
 If Not rFnd Is Nothing Then
 rngSearch.Offset(0, 0) = rngSearch.Offset(-1, 0) 'if found multiple strings, don't loop column A but copy the row above
 Else
 'if activity is found:
 If Not rngFound Is Nothing Then
 rngSearch.Offset(0, 0) = rngFound.Offset(0, 1)
 Else
 rngSearch.Offset(0, 0) = "0"
 End If
 End If
Next

• Kaz: Presented Solutions are good, but CR answers should be about explaining how and why your code is better, not just a code dump.