This method does copy and pasting, filtering, and sorting to accomplish an outer join in Excel and good for just one offs. The idea is to use a VLOOKUP to find all matching records from the left to the right tables and right to the left tables. [Adding another record to table 2 to show outer join]
Table 1
Fernando
Hector
Vivian
Ivan
Table 2
Fernando, task A, 5 hours
Vivian, task B, 8 hours
Thomas, task A, 5 hours
Copy both tables into one table where table 1 will take up the first left columns and first rows and table 2 will take up the last right columns and last rows (The headers should be row 1 for both tables). Create a VLOOKUP function for the next two columns to find matching keys from the left to right tables and right to left tables.
Table 3
Name Name Task Hours Match 1 Match 2
Fernando =VLOOKUP(A2,B:B,1,FALSE) =VLOOKUP(B2,A:A,1,FALSE)
Hector =VLOOKUP(A3,B:B,1,FALSE) =VLOOKUP(B3,A:A,1,FALSE)
Vivian =VLOOKUP(A4,B:B,1,FALSE) =VLOOKUP(B4,A:A,1,FALSE)
Ivan =VLOOKUP(A5,B:B,1,FALSE) =VLOOKUP(B5,A:A,1,FALSE)
Fernando task A 5 hours =VLOOKUP(A6,B:B,1,FALSE) =VLOOKUP(B6,A:A,1,FALSE)
Vivian task B 8 hours =VLOOKUP(A7,B:B,1,FALSE) =VLOOKUP(B7,A:A,1,FALSE)
Thomas task B 8 hours =VLOOKUP(A8,B:B,1,FALSE) =VLOOKUP(B8,A:A,1,FALSE)
Table 3 Result
Name Name Task Hours Match 1 Match 2
Fernando Fernando N/A
Hector N/A N/A
Vivian Vivian N/A
Ivan N/A N/A
Fernando task A 5 hours N/A Fernando
Vivian task B 8 hours N/A Vivian
Thomas task B 8 hours N/A N/A
NOTE: For large data sets, the next step will take a very long time because of the VLOOKUP calculation that happens. Copy and paste over columns for match 1 and match 2 columns as values so that VLOOKUP doesn't recalculate during filtering.
Filter on Match 1 and Match 2 to only see all N/A results. Copy the main data to another sheet with headers.
Name Name Task Hours Match 1 Match 2
Hector N/A N/A
Ivan N/A N/A
Thomas task B 8 hours N/A N/A
Filter on Match 1 and Match 2 to not see N/A results. Sort on keys for both, so that when copy and pasting everything matches. Copy and paste Table 1 data into the new sheet below previously pasted data first. Then copy and paste Table 2 data to the right of the Table 1 data that was just pasted.
Name Name Task Hours Match 1 Match 2
Fernando Fernando N/A
Vivian Vivian N/A
Fernando task A 5 hours N/A Fernando
Vivian task B 8 hours N/A Vivian
The result is below and you can delete, sort, whatever to the outer joined data.
Name Name Task Hours
Hector
Ivan
Thomas task B 8 hours
Fernando Fernando task A 5 hours
Vivian Vivian task B 8 hours