đ Demystifying Excel Lookup Functions: A Quick Guide đ§
Excel offers various lookup functions, each with its own strengths. Letâs break down the key differences using dummy data:
đ VLOOKUP: Vertical Lookup
Lets imagine youâre a librarian and need to find a bookâs details by searching for its title in your database. VLOOKUP is your tool! It searches vertically (top to bottom) for a value and retrieves information from a corresponding column.
Syntax: =VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])
Finding author of âBook Bâ = VLOOKUP(âBook Bâ, A1:C4, 2, FALSE)
- lookup_value is "Book B."
- table_array is the range A1:C4.
- col_index_num is 2 because you want to retrieve data from the second column: Author (Similarly, if you want to get Genre for the same book the column index would be 3).
- range_lookup is set to FALSE for an exact match.
Result: The VLOOKUP formula will return the author of âBook B,â which is Author 2.
đ HLOOKUP: Horizontal Lookup
Now, imagine youâre a chef with a recipe book. You want to find a recipeâs cooking time by searching for its name horizontally. HLOOKUP is your sous chef! It searches from left to right and fetches data from a corresponding row.
Syntax: =HLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, row_index_num,[range_lookup])
Finding time to cook âPizzaâ = HLOOKUP(âPizzaâ, A1:D2, 2, FALSE)
- lookup_value is âPizza.â
- table_array is the range A1:D2.
- row_index_num is 2 because you want to retrieve data from the second row.
- range_lookup is set to FALSE for an exact match.
Result: The HLOOKUP formula will return the cooking time of pizza which is 20.
đ INDEX MATCH: Dynamic Duo
What if your database is like a library card catalogue, with books scattered everywhere? INDEX MATCH is your superhero duo! Use the MATCH function to find the position (row or column) of a specific value in a lookup range. Then, you feed the result from MATCH into the INDEX function to retrieve the corresponding data from another range. This allows you to perform both horizontal and vertical lookups, exact or approximate matches, and search for values in rows or columns as needed.
Syntax: =INDEX(array, row_num, [column_num])
Match function can be used either to retrieve row_num or column_num or for both.
Syntax: =Match(lookup_value, lookup_array, [match_type])
Again, considering the case of first example, finding author of âBook Bâ using index match =INDEX(B1:B4, MATCH(âBook Bâ, A1:A4, 0))
- MATCH(âBook Bâ, A1:A4, 0) finds the position of âBook Bâ in the range A1:A4, resulting in 3 (since itâs in the third row). Value of match_type is â0â for an exact match.
- INDEX(B1:B4, 3) retrieves the value from the third row of column B, which is Author 2.
The formula returns the author of âBook B,â which is Author 2.
đ XLOOKUP: Excelâs Next-Gen Lookup Function đ
Traditional lookup functions like VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP are powerful, but they can be limiting. XLOOKUP is a powerful lookup and reference function introduced in Microsoft Excel 365 (Excel 2019 for Office 365 subscribers). It is designed to simplify complex lookup tasks, providing a more intuitive and flexible way to search for data in tables or ranges.
Letâs say you have a table of products, their prices, and the corresponding categories. You want to find the price of a specific product using XLOOKUP.
Syntax: =XLOOKUP(lookup_value, lookup_array, return_array, [if_not_found], [match_mode], [search_mode])
To find the price of âProduct Bâ launched in 2007 using XLOOKUP =XLOOKUP(âProduct Bâ&2007, A1:A5&D1:D5, B1:B5, âProduct not foundâ, 0, 1)
- lookup_value is âProduct Bâ launched in 2007.
- lookup_array is the range A1:A5 where youâre searching for the product name with range D1:D5 for the specified year.
- return_array is the range B1:B5 from which you want to retrieve the price.
- âProduct not foundâ is the optional value to return if no match is found.
- 0 specifies an exact match.
- 1 specifies a first-to-last search mode.
The formula will return the price of âProduct Bâ launched in 2007, which is $20.
In the world of data analysis, having these lookup functions in your toolbox is like having a Swiss Army knife for various tasks.
So, whether youâre diving into VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, INDEX MATCH, or embracing the future with XLOOKUP, remember that Excelâs lookup functions are here to help you unravel the mysteries hidden within your data.