Get a unique list from a text file

Posted on April 1, 2009April 26, 2009 by Alan

This script UniqueList.vbs extracts, counts and writes a unique list of items from a text or CSV file. You can drag a file onto it or use the command line syntax below. If a CSV file, the unique list is just the first column.

Command line syntax: uniquelist.vbs filewithdupes.txt newfile header
Note that header is YES or NO

This is interesting from a programming perspective because it uses the Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB provider to query a text file as if it were a database.

Rename the file from .txt to .vbs to run.

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All the scripts are saved as .txt files. Newer files have a “View Script” button which will let you save or open a script in notepad. For earlier posts, the easiest way to download with IE is to right click on the link and use “Save Target As”. Rename file from Name_ext.txt to Name.ext.

To see a full post after searching, please click on the title.

PowerShell Scripts were written with version 3 or later.

https connections are supported.

All new users accounts must be approved, as are comments. Please be patient. If you find a post error or a script which doesn’t work as expected, I appreciate being notified. My email is my first name at the domain name, and you are welcome to contact me that way.

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