Highlight Duplicative Records

[JonathanNYC]

I don't wish to suppress duplicate records, I wish to see when they exist on a report. The duplicates are caused by me (user error) after I incorrectly enter data to our OR Scheduling System. When an error is identified, I need to then delete the duplicate record(s) from the system, because when I summarize total time allocated to a surgeon in the OR, the total time will be incorrect. Here is an example,

MDJonathan OR1 9/21/2006 8AM 7PM
MDJonathan OR2 9/22/2006 8AM 7PM
MDJonathan OR1 9/21/2006 8AM 7PM

The times above represent beginning and end times for a surgeon. In the case above 11 hours per day.

I can certainly see where the duplicates are when I view or print my report. However, I have about thirty pages worth of entries each month and I'm asking for a solution or suggestion as to whether there is a way to highlight or otherwise more conspicuously denote the duplicate line(s). I am defining duplicates as when when MDName AND Room# AND Date AND Starttime AND Endtime are all exactly the same values. In the illustration above, I would like the third line (or wherever the duplicate occurred) in bold or another font or in italics or some other distinction so that it is more clearly idenfiable when I scan the report. I'm using 10.5

Thanks in advance for any proposals you might come up with.

 

[synapsevampire]

Well you'd want to make sure that the rows are grouped or sorted by those fields.

And do you want only the dupes on a report?

Here's both solutions:

Once you have the rows in the proper ordering(use Report->Record Sort Expert), right click the details and select format section, select the color tab, and select the X2 next to the color and place a formula such as:
if
(
{table.MDname} = previous({table.MdName})
and
{table.Room} = previous({table.Room})
and
...do the same with all other fields...
)
or
(
{table.MDname} = next({table.MdName})
and
{table.Room} = next({table.Room})
and
...do the same with all other fields...
)
then CRYELLOW

If you want the report to just display the dupes, then create a formula of:

// name it AllFields
{table.MDname}&"-"&{table.room}&"-"&...use all fields...

Then group this formula, and go to the Report->Edit Sselection formula->Group and place:

count({table.MDName},{@AllFields}) > 1

Now the report will only show those with more than 1.

-k

 

[ssakkerm]

For the first case don't forget to do one more thing:

To say in formula:
"then CRYELLOW
else CRWHITE"

 

[JonathanNYC]

synapsevampire and ssakkerm, please accept my heartfelt and appreciative thanks for your excellent and incredibly timely solution. Before your note ssakkerm, I was working with the excellent solution provided by snyapsevamopire and some of the items highlighted in yelow and other items were completely in black (and unreadable). Then, I read your note ssakkerm and, well, perfect. Thank you both, very much. Your help and this site are a fantastic resource.