Merge and add up files with the same layout
The same report form arrived from five branches, or for twelve months, and you need one file with the totals. Normally that is a sheet per file and a page of formulas. Here it is one dialog.
Free to use. “Tables” → “Merge files…”. Files stay on your computer. Windows version — 4.6 MB, no installation: details. Pro — $29 once: price.
Target and sources
The result goes into an open table — the target. If nothing is open, the dialog offers to open the target file from inside it: the first month’s form, say, or an empty template. The sources are files from disk and other open tabs.
The result is an unsaved edit of the target: you can see it and undo it, and the file on disk changes only when you press Save.
Structure check
- Strict — the file has exactly the same columns of the same types, none extra and none missing.
- Loose — one field matching by name is enough, the rest are skipped, and you are told so.
A file that fails the check is shown at once with the reason, and the merge does not start.
How rows are paired
| Method | Use it when |
|---|---|
| By key fields | rows match by a code: item code, account number, customer ID. Rows with the same key are added up, a new key is appended |
| By row number | forms with a fixed set of rows: first with first, second with second |
| Append rows | no adding up, just gather all the rows into one file |
| Cell by cell | row N and column N of every file are added to row N and column N of the target; column names do not matter, only numbers are added |
What happens to each field
Numbers are added by default, without tails like 0.30000000000000004. The rule can be changed for any field: join the text with a separator (with or without repeats), keep the target’s value, take the value from the last file, or leave the field alone.
In cell-by-cell mode text, codes and dates are left alone: a row label will not turn into “0”. A non-numeric value in a field being added is skipped and counted in the final message.
FAQ
The columns are in a different order in each file. Is that a problem?
No. Merging by key and by row number matches columns by name. Only cell-by-cell mode adds columns by position.
What format must the target be?
One the edit can be saved to: DBF, Excel .xlsx, ODS, CSV, JSON or XML. The sources can be any format that opens.
What if the key repeats in the target?
The sum goes to the first row with that key, and the number of repeats is in the final message.
Free to use. Your file is not uploaded to a server. Windows version — 4.6 MB, no installation: details. Pro — $29 once: price.