yogi_Match Abbreviated Name In Sheet Named Names And Pull Corresponding Full Name From Sheet Named Master

                                          Google Spreadsheet   Post  #1204
Yogi Anand, D.Eng, P.E.      ANAND Enterprises LLC -- Rochester Hills MI     www.energyefficientbuild.com.   May 21, 2013
user StudentSupport (http://productforums.google.com/forum/?zx=ttx1g8rgpf8v#!category-topic/docs/spreadsheets/Gipvrzc2vnQ)
renaming names to reflect master list
Last step then I'm done...

While replacing a name, if there are 6 "Tom B"'s it is inputting ALL 6 Tom's rather than leaving that cell blank, as an error, and moving onto the next name to keep the rows aligned with the master list.

I am currently using:

=ArrayFormula(query('master'!A:A;"select A where A starts with '"&left(names!B2,len(names!B2)-1)&"' "))

I would like to essentially use the same formula, but adjust it a bit so if there are 2 Tom B's, or 2 Danny A's that it will skip that name/cell, and move to the next name it can identify.

Any suggestions? Here is a link to the spreadsheet which I am using as my dummy data...
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvTqJBK5ZdjNdGpJS2tNZUY4bEY2cjRSWGNFZzBnUEE#gid=0
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following is a convoluted solution to the problem

yogi_From A FirstName LastName Database Extract In NewNames Sheet FirstName LastName For A List FirstName_MI In OldName Sheet

                                          Google Spreadsheet   Post  #1180
Yogi Anand, D.Eng, P.E.      ANAND Enterprises LLC -- Rochester Hills MI     www.energyefficientbuild.com.   May 08, 2013
user StudentSupport (https://productforums.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!category-topic/docs/spreadsheets/W0uqdxIvR9Q)

I began collecting student data based on a "first name, last initial". Now I am collecting it "first name, last name". To merge the spreadsheets I need to find a way to convert "first name, last initial" to the current format of "first name, last name". There is a master name database.  If there are multiple entries for it to either stay blank or somehow flag it for a manual conversion.

please click the link to find my example

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvTqJBK5ZdjNdGpJS2tNZUY4bEY2cjRSWGNFZzBnUEE#gid=0

Old format:

Tom B.

New format:

Tom Brady

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Let us have a look at the following

yogi_Pull Select Information From A Table Based On Specified Fields (Columns)

                                          Google Spreadsheet   Post  #1170
Yogi Anand, D.Eng, P.E.      ANAND Enterprises LLC -- Rochester Hills MI     www.energyefficientbuild.com.   May 04, 2013
user StudentSupport (http://productforums.google.com/forum/?zx=489otlptm5fw#!mydiscussions/docs/OsltWNvu2Dg)
I am trying to pull data, but with user selected input. If a user decides they want to view data from a certain column on another sheet then they can put an "x" in a cell. I have a helper column that helps write the formula prior to pulling the particular information.

="select C, D, E, F, G, H where B1:B="x"", which gives me a parse error.

Please view: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvTqJBK5ZdjNdFRCV0Uxd3RZOXdVMTVtWmt2dDJSMHc#gid=0
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following is a solution based on my understanding of the problem

yogi_In A Table of Multiple IDs And Dates Pull Unique IDs And Transpose The Corresponding Dates For Each ID

                                          Google Spreadsheet   Post  #1125
Yogi Anand, D.Eng, P.E.      ANAND Enterprises LLC -- Rochester Hills MI     www.energyefficientbuild.com.    Apr 14, 2013
user StudentSupport  :(https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/docs/spreadsheets/IS2IjYNEwl8)
transpose list (id's)

Working with a list of id's. If an id comes up more than once I want to transpose. I have 2 separate formulas 1) finds the ids and puts them in a list and 2) finds the dates and kind of transposes them.

I want to combine these to make 1 array (?) formula that can do both. I filled both formulas with colors on the test sheet.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvTqJBK5ZdjNdDVicWtVZVN6VHVaMEhjbmtkekw1Nnc&usp=sharing

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